Editorial: Sabotage of speeches by the Ministry of Environment during Minamata disease is unthinkable

An Environment Ministry official recently turned off the microphones of two members of groups of Minamata disease victims and patients who were speaking during a visit by Minister Shintaro Ito to Minamata City, Kumamoto Prefecture, under the pretext that they were running through time. It was an unthinkable act for a ministry charged with providing relief from pollution-related damage.

Ito apparently had plans to return to Tokyo, but this was probably nothing more than a bureaucratic excuse. Originally, each group was given just three minutes to speak – barely enough to hear the heartbreaking messages from the victims.

The group protested strongly, calling the incident “a shameful act that suppressed the speech of the victims.” Minister Ito returned to the city a week later to formally apologize.

The Environment Agency, the predecessor to the Ministry of the Environment, was established in 1971 to tackle Minamata disease and other pollution-related diseases. The aim was to centrally handle the management of pollution control, which until now had been spread across various ministries and agencies. The law establishing the agency set its main tasks as preventing pollution and contributing to the health of the population.

Environment ministers have historically taken part in an annual event in Minamata to commemorate the victims of the disease named after the city. It takes place on May 1, the date on which Minamata disease was officially recognized 68 years ago, and to mark the occasion the minister will hold discussions with patients and victims’ groups. These actions are intended to demonstrate that the government has not forgotten the disasters that occurred in the shadow of Japan’s high economic growth.

At a press conference ahead of this year’s event, Ito said: “Minamata disease is a starting point for environmental problems. I want to listen carefully to the voices of the community.”

Nevertheless, he sat back and allowed an act that trampled on the feelings of patients and others. You may wonder if his words were sincere.

The themes of environmental issues to be addressed by government are extensive and also include climate change and other global issues. But that doesn’t mean the Minamata issue is over.

Many who have experienced discrimination and health problems are now fighting in court for compensation. The full extent of the damage caused by the disease has yet to be understood.

At a time when pollution was spreading, the government covered its ears from the voices of the people, with economic growth as its top priority. The country was even reluctant to regulate harmful substances.

The ministry must keep in mind the premise of its creation and the history of pollution, and side with the victims of the disease in carrying out its duties.