News about Minamata Disease

The Mainichi Daily News published an article in English about the important political agreement that was made yesterday between Japan's LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) and Democratic Party regarding Minamata disease. The English article is largely a translation of a Japanese article. In this post, will quote from the two articles to made a bilingual outline of some of the key issues.

昨日決まった水俣病に関する「第２の政治決着」に関する毎日新聞の英語と日本語の記事から引用して、いくつかのキーワードを説明したいと思います。

Here are the titles and addresses of the two articles from which I am quoting:

• Ruling, opposition parties agree to expand Minamata disease aid under new law
• 水俣病：４症状も救済、チッソは分社化…特措法成立へ

1. 分社化 (Dividing Chisso into two companies)

On Thursday, the parties also agreed to let chemical maker Chisso Corp., which caused poisoning by releasing methyl mercury-tainted water into the sea from a factory in Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture, split into a parent company and a subsidiary. Sales of shares in the subsidiary will go toward future compensation for victims, and the parent company will later be liquidated.

Chisso, which is covering lump-sum payments under the latest compensation measures had requested permission to split up, saying that it wanted to move away from the Minamata disease issue, targeting freer corporate activities. However, sufferers groups are against the idea of the parent company disappearing in the future. The DPJ had opposed splitting up the company, but gave its consent on condition that the split would not be carried out until Chisso agreed to pay lump compensation sums.

合意によると、分社化はチッソを患者補償会社（親会社）と事業会社（子会社）に切り離し、子会社の株式売却益を将来の補償に充てたうえで親会社は清算する。今回の救済策で一時金を負担するチッソが「水俣病問題を離れ、より自由な企業活動を目指す」として実現を求め、与党も法案に分社化を盛り込んだ。しかし、患者団体は親会社が将来、消滅することに反発。民主党も分社化に反対していたが、一時金の支給にチッソが同意するまでは行わないとすることを条件に容認した。

2. 認定基準 (Criteria for certification as a Minamata disease patient)

Under the legislation, conditions covered by relief measures have been expanded to include sensory impairment of the distal parts of limbs, in which numbness becomes more pronounced near the tips of fingers and toes; a condition affecting sensation on the tongue; sensory impairment around the mouth; and tunnel vision. A fifth condition that the DPJ suggested including -- intellectual impairment caused by cerebral disorders -- was dropped.

救済対象となる症状は、９５年の政治決着で盛り込まれ、今回も与党が当初掲げた手足の先ほどしびれが強い「四肢末梢（まっしょう）優位の感覚障害」のほか、民主党の主張を受け入れ、条件付きで（１）全身性感覚障害（２）舌への刺激が１カ所か２カ所かを判別できない舌の二点識別覚障害（３）口の周りの感覚障害（４）視野狭窄（きょうさく）－－に拡大した。民主党が求めた５症状のうち、残る「大脳障害による知能障害」は法案への明記を見送った。

3. 問題の規模と最高裁の判決 (Scope of the problem and the Supreme Court Decision)

Lump sums of 2.6 million yen per person were paid to over 10,000 people in a government settlement in 1995, but in a ruling in 2004 the Supreme Court applied standards that recognized ailments caused by the disease to a level beyond government standards. There are believed to be 30,000 people seeking compensation who have not yet been recognized as Minamata disease sufferers. Based on a survey in 2007, the government expected more than 80 percent of patients to receive relief measures.

水俣病は９５年の政治決着で１万人余りに一時金（１人２６０万円）が支払われ、終息したとみられていた。しかし、０４年の関西訴訟最高裁判決は従来の行政の認定基準より幅広く水俣病の症状をとらえた。未認定のまま新たに救済を求めている患者は３万人に上るとみられている。与党は０７年に実施した抽出調査結果などから、このうち８割以上は救済されると見込んでいる。

Minamata disease is a disease that appeared when people ate fish and other seafood contaminated with methyl mercury. The first case was confirmed in 1956. As of March this year 2,965 people had officially been recognized as sufferers.

上記の英文に相当する文は日本語の記事にないようです。

There was another issue regarding removal of the designation of certain areas as regions affected by Minamata disease. The removal of this designation would have made new applications for certifications impossible. Strong opposition from the Democratic Party and groups of Minamata disease suffers and their supporters led the LDP to eliminate this from the bill.

新たな認定を不可能にする「地域指定解除」という措置も検討されていましたが、民主党や患者団体に反対され、交渉の結果、法案から削除されました。