Last Letters from Jail: Professor Masaki Shimoji Now Released

Professor Masaki Shimoji and one of his fellow protesters were released from jail on December 28. However, another protester remained in detention and was indicted on a charge of forcible obstruction of business.

Statement from Dr. Helen Caldicott in support of Professor Shimoji

Professor Shimoji is a brave and moral man who is worried about his students and future generations. It is imperative that he be supported in his quest to halt incineration of radioactive waste in Osaka and elsewhere in Japan as this will add to the misery, sickness and deaths that will be the Fukushima legacy.

Helen Caldicott

ヘレン・カルディコット博士からの声明文

下地教授は、学生や次世代の人々を気遣う、勇敢で道徳心のある人物です。大阪あるいは日本のその他の地域において、苦しみ、病、死といった福島の遺産を増やすことからも、下地教授の追求する放射能汚染瓦礫焼却停止を、私達がサポートすることは必須です。

ヘレン・カルディコット

Background:

http://keepcivicactivity.jimdo.com/

On December 9, 2012, Masaki Shimoji, an associate professor of economics at Hannan University was arrested by the Osaka Prefectural Police. This arrest is extremely unjust in form and content. It is clearly a crackdown on citizens’ movement.

Professor Shimoji and others are opposing the “areawide management of the disaster debris” measure, which intended to spread, incinerate and bury harmful substances in the disaster debris all over Japan that should not be incinerated, such as radioactive material and asbestos. Osaka-city is trying to begin regular incineration and burial beginning in February 2013.

The following is the timeline for the arrest:

At 3 pm on October 17, 2012, voluntary citizens opposing to test incineration of disaster debris in Osaka-city, including associate professor Shimoji, gathered on the sidewalk outside the northeast corner of Osaka station. They began to walk towards Osaka city hall, walking through the east concourse inside Osaka station from north to south. This act was considered a “violation of Railway Operation Act,” “forcible obstruction of business, “ and ”non-withdrawal,” and used as charges for the arrest.

However, this act of “walking through the station” was conducted nearly two months ago, and it is extremely unnatural for them to arrest him for it now. We can’t help but consider it as an intentional crackdown on citizens’ movement.

Voluntary citizens including associate professor Shimoji, in consideration of the anxious feelings of mothers with small children, especially those who evacuated from Fukushima Prefecture and Tohoku and Kanto regions to Kansai area, have been actively trying to stop the spread of radioactive contamination. Fukushima nuclear accident negatively affected the health and wealth of an enormous number of people. It is the responsibility of the government, the electric companies and the nuclear industry that should be in question for having forced the operation of nuclear power plants without appropriate safety measures.

December 10, 2012
Civic Activity–an organization supporting citizens opposing spread of radiation

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Letter from Professor Shimoji:

None of the alleged facts of crime in the arrest warrant is true. I am extremely surprised that the public safety police officers openly arrested me for the alleged facts which differ from the actual facts, despite having been present in the location of the alleged crime and witnessed everything that went on.

Why did the police arrest me going so far as lying in the arrest warrant? The reason is because I opposed the restart of nuclear power plants and have participated in a citizens’ movement opposing the spread of radiation. In particular, I have severely criticized the wrongful conduct by the police which I encountered during my activities. I have done nothing wrong.

Currently, Japan where we live as well as the entire world are in a critical situation. Fukushima nuclear accident is not over, and if the spent-fuel pool in reactor 4 collapses, it is not too much to say that it could lead to a massive disaster which could end not only Japan but the rest of the world. Radioactive contamination has not been properly dealt with at all, and the contamination is being spread through the circulation of food and other goods. In the midst of this situation, the government lies about “insufficient electricity” to try to continue using nuclear power plants. This is nothing but insanity.

What sort of measures the government will take in the next six months to one year will change our future to a great extent. Every day I look at my students and wonder what sort of world they will live in when these 20-year-olds turn forty like me. Each time I think about it, I feel sorry, as the older generation, about not being able to prevent this nuclear accident. They are not guilty of any wrongdoing. I would like to do the little I can do in order to leave the world in a better shape than this. Since the accident already happened, there is not much time left for us. However, there is still hope.

I am not able to move around at this time. However, I haven’t given up. I can send my voice out like this. And if many more of you take an action and raise your voices, we will certainly make it in time.

I would especially like to call to individuals who teach at a university like me and also those called specialists such as physicians and scientists. Please learn particularly from citizens who might appear to “be ignorant and lack calmness.” Please speak out for those whose voices are being ignored and taken lightly.

Truth only appears through criticisms and responses. It’s not what is talked about by authorities such as the government. Go to the opposite side, and act so that the truth is revealed by posing questions against the authorities. It is okay even if you are wrong. Always be on the side of the weak and protect their words and existence which are always taken lightly. Even if you might be wrong, speak paradoxically so that the truth would be revealed through an exchange of statements with the authority. It doesn’t matter what your specialty field is. Please be brave.

Lastly, I would like to speak about the issue of disaster debris with which I have been most deeply involved. The city of Osaka forced the test incineration in the end of November and is getting ready for the start of regular incineration in February 2013. As I have repeatedly stated everywhere, the areawide management of disaster debris will not be good for anybody. It is not even supporting the disaster-affected area: it steals from the recovery budget and interferes with the recovery process. At the same time, it will spread radiation all over the place, forcing the residents of contaminated areas to resign themselves to tolerate radiation despite opposition and mitigating responsibility of the Tokyo Electric Power Company as the perpetrator. The price to be paid for this is our lives, and lives of the children and the children yet to be born. Such nonsense measures should not be tolerated. We absolutely must stop them. Those of you who have been learning about this and causing actions together, please do not give up. Keep fighting. Also, those of you who didn’t know about the issue of disaster debris, please learn about it now so that you can lend us your power. This is a fight to protect nothing other than our own future itself.

I don’t know when I will be released from confinement, but I will be released someday. Even though I am not physically there, my thoughts are with you. My colleagues who have been unjustly arrested must be feeling the same way during their confinement. I am looking forward to seeing you soon.

December 12, 2012
Masaki Shimoji

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We are collecting individual and group statements from all over the world in support of freeing Professor Shimoji. Please send them with your name, name of your organization if any, and your address to frcsrus@gmail.com

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Japanese version of the letter can be found in the following link:
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/garekitaiho1113/e/79c68fd4e86da4ec02b2e01a5188052b

逮捕状の被疑事実は、すべて、事実ではありません。当日現場にいた公安の警察官もすべてを見ていたはずなのに、堂々と事実と異なる被疑事実に基づいて逮捕を行ったことに、とても驚いています。
なぜ警察がウソをついてまで私を逮捕するのか。それは私が、原発の再稼働に反対し、放射能の拡散に反対する市民運動に参加してきたからであり、とりわけ、運動の中で出会った警察の不正行為についても厳しく批判してきたからです。悪いことはなにもしていません。

いま、私たちが暮らす日本は、そして世界は、危機的な状況にあります。福島の原発事故はいまだ収束せず、4号機の使用済み核燃料プールが倒壊すれば、日 本だけでなく、世界が終わると言っても過言ではない大惨禍をもたらすことになるでしょう。放射能汚染への対応もまったくできておらず、食品その他の流通を 通じて、汚染は拡大しつつあります。そんな中、「電気が足りない」とうそぶき、原発を使い続けようとしているのです。すべてが狂っているとしか言いようが ありません。

この半年か1年の間に、政府がどのような施策を行うか、それによって私たちの未来は大きく変わるでしょう。日々、学生たちの顔を見ながら思います。二十 歳そこそこの彼らが私と同じ四十歳になる頃、どんな世界に暮らすことになるのかと。そのたびに、今回の原発事故を防げなかったこと、先輩世代として申し訳 なく思います。彼らには罪はないのですから。せめて、少しでもマシな世界を残せるよう、微力を尽くしたいと思っています。事故はすでに起きてしまいました から、時間はあまり残されていません。しかし、希望はあります。

私は、いま、動くことができなくなりました。でも、諦めてはいません。こうして、私の声を外に届けることもできます。そして、もっと多くのみなさんが行動してくれれば、声をあげてくれれば、きっとまだ間に合います。
私はとりわけ、私と同じように大学で教えている人、医師や科学者などなんらかの意味で専門家と呼ばれている人たちに呼びかけたいと思います。「無知で冷 静さを欠いている」かのように見える市民にこそ学んで下さい。その声が無視され、軽んじられている人のために語って下さい。

真実は、批判と応答を通じて初めて、姿を現します。政府をはじめとする権威が語ることではなく、その反対側に立ち、権威に対して反問することを通じて真 実が明らかになるように行動して下さい。まちがってもいいのです。常に弱い側に立ち、その軽んじられる言葉や存在を擁護し、自らが仮にまちがうとしても、 逆説的に、権威との言説の応酬の中で真実が明らかになるように、語って下さい。あなたの専門分野が何であるかは、関係がありません。勇気をもって下さい。

最後に、私がもっとも深く関わってきた震災がれきの問題について述べます。大阪市は11月末に試験焼却を強行し、来年2月の本焼却開始に向けて着々と準備を進めています。
何度もあちこちで述べてきましたように、震災がれきの広域処理は誰のためにもなりません。それは被災地支援どころか復興予算の横取りであり、かえって復興 の足を引っぱります。同時に、放射能をばらまき、かつ、汚染地の人々に放射能を受忍させ、加害者である東京電力の責任を軽減するものです。代償は、私たち の、子どもたちの、そして、これから生まれてくる子どもたちの命です。こんなデタラメな施策が許されていいはずがありません。絶対に止めなければなりませ ん。これまでともに学び、取り組んできたみなさん、諦めずに戦ってください。また、これまで震災がれき問題について知らなかったみなさん、是非、今からで も知って力を貸して下さい。これは、私たちの未来そのものを守るための戦いです。

私はいつ出られるかわかりません。でも、いつかきっと出られます。姿は見えなくても、心はともにあります。この間、不当に逮捕されている他の仲間たちもきっと同じ気持ちです。みなさんに会える日をたのしみにしています。

２０１２．１２．１２　下地真樹