Prime Minister Apologizes to Victims of Sterilization

The government of Japan embarked on compensation for the greatest violation of human rights in post-war Japan. Prime Ministetr Fumio Kishida met with victims of sterilization surgery conducted under Eugene Protection Law (EPL) and apologized coerced surgery promoted by the government. The both Houses of the Diet are going to pass a resolution for apologizing their legislation of EPL, and accelerate its effort to legislate new law for compensation.

The Supreme Court found that EPL has been unconstitutional from the time when it passed the Diet in 1948 and ordered the government full compensation for the plaintiffs earlier this month. While the lawsuits were returned to the lower court, the government decided to take action for compensation before the court conclude the discussion, admitting its historical fault.

 

Kishida met with the plaintiffs who had suffered from forcible sterilization surgery in his official residence and apologized to them that the policy under EPL was extremely regrettable. “I will consider broad compensation for not only the victims themselves but for the spouses of them, who must have been suffering from pain,” said Kishida. He announced that the government will abandon its argument that the plaintiffs are ineligible for the lawsuit, because of limitation of time.

 

Kishida promised that the compensation would be sufficient and proper amount of money. According to the law for providing temporary allowance for the sufferers of sterilization surgery established in 2019, the government has been paying 3.2 million yen to them. However, it has been argued that the amount was not sufficient as the compensation for execution of wrong law that took the people opportunities for reproduction forever. Kishida is going to consult with the lawmakers about the details of new law.

 

The bill for new law will be submitted by the lawmakers, who are willing to promote new legislation for compensation beyond party lines, to the extraordinary session in this fall. EPL, which was submitted by the lawmakers, not the government, unanimously passed the Diet in 1948. Both Houses are responsible for creating the law which was unconstitutional from the beginning.

 

The lawmakers of each House consider to pass a resolution for apology. It was a lawmaker of the Constitutional Democratic Party in the House of Representatives who proposed the resolution to show apology of the House in the Committee on Rules and Administration. No opposition was raised.

 

It is supposed that twenty-five thousand people at least suffered from forcible sterilization surgery. The government needs to compensate for all of those victims and their spouses. Although the government of Japan is reluctant to compensate for its past violations of human rights, as seen in compensation for hibakusya or Minamata disease, it needs to work quickly, accepting determination of the Supreme Court.

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