"Tracking! Taboo 2 of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare"-Hidden inconvenient facts-November 13, 16:28
“Do you know the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's taboo? Chidorigafuchi sleeps a“ non-Japanese remains ”. This is the“ Pandora Box ”held by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
The problem of misrepresenting the remains of Siberian detainees, ascertained after more than two years of coverage. However, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is unlikely to break the attitude that “there are no major problems with the response so far”. It has been about 50 days since the first report in July. The news gathering team obtained new materials to support the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's “lies” and “hiding”, and finally the “Pandora Box” opened.
Memorial ceremony for detainees criticizing the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare
On August 23rd, a ceremony was held at the Chidorigafuchi tombs in Tokyo to commemorate those who had been detained by Siberia, etc., and attendees criticized the MHLW's response. It is.
“It's not about the level of straightening or feeling nervous. We should drastically reexamine the way we do business and discuss it with the Russian side.”
“Sorry and anger of the former detainees and the bereaved hurts my heart. I strongly urge the government to make a sincere and sincere effort to collect the remains” (Director-General Hirofumi Hirano, National Democratic Party)
“The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare did not reveal the facts until NHK reported it, and did not convey it to the Russian side. It must be said that it was concealed. I think it was necessary for the minister to come and apologize. ”
However, the then Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare was absent from the memorial service. The following greeting was read:
“We started discussions with Russia in a situation where the procedure was done properly but the result of the appraisal was different. We want to work quickly in the future.”
This day is said to be the day when the "Siberian detention" began, 74 years ago, when the former Soviet Union issued a directive to transfer former Japanese soldiers and civilians to Siberia. There were no words of apology to the bereaved family or war friends until the end.
Dispatched a collection team in the midst of allegations
In the midst of this, surprising information came in again. On August 19th and 20th, four days before the memorial service, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare sent the remains collection team to Siberia.
The ministry after NHK reported on August 5, the suspected remains mix-up of 70 persons, just to clear the "proceed with the verification work in prospect one month future". It was a Siberian dispatch in the midst of suspicion at a stage where no verification results were available.
A person who has been involved in the collection of remains for many years said:
"I think that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, which does not give any help if a mistake is pointed out, is clear, and that it is against the belief in the Russian side. At least until the verification results are obtained, the collection of remains in Siberia should be suspended. "(Japan War dead remains collection promotion association Makoto Akagi director)
However, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare explained, “Since the appraisers are accompanied by the Japanese side from 2018, we believe that dispatch is appropriate.” The attitude of not trying to confront the past was obvious.
One after another measures and new materials!
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has devised measures to collect ashes one after another.
The budget request for next year announced that it will increase the cost of collecting remains to strengthen scientific appraisals of remains, and will include approximately 3 billion yen, which is approximately 600 million yen higher than this year.
On September 10, a new department “Appraisal Adjustment Room” was set up to strengthen the DNA testing system to identify the identity of remains.
However, the reaction of those critical to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare was cold.
“The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is taking measures to explain to politicians that“ I ’ll do it right now, so it ’s okay. ” I have. "
Under such circumstances, definitive information was brought to the interview team.
“Siberia is not the only case of two misconceptions. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has hidden many times.
And we have obtained a new private minutes of the “DNA Appraisers Conference”, which has hundreds of pages.
“It ’s an unfortunate discovery”
The news gathering team divided and read the minutes. Then surprising descriptions were found one after another.
The first thing that surprised me was the time when the suspicion of the mistake was pointed out.
What has been revealed so far is "December 2017" about a year and a half ago. But many years ago, several experts said at a meeting held 14 years ago in May 2005.
"I'm not Japanese" "I think I'm really Japanese"
Several experts pointed out the suspicion of mistaking the remains of 43 people collected in Siberia.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, which has repeatedly explained, "I was going to make it public, but it was in the stage of internal review. However, the minutes contain the fact that several experts repeatedly pointed to suspicion of confusing 15 times at the meeting held from May 2005 to March.
The “lie” that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare was on. It can no longer be explained by the “speed problem”. It was clear that the suspicion of misunderstanding had been pointed out many times over the years, but was not publicly disclosed and was effectively “hidden”.
The minutes also contain statements from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare staff who are confused by the suspicion of mistakes that are pointed out one after another.
“It ’s an unfortunate discovery.” “It ’s scary.” “It ’s terrible that there ’s so much.” “If you did n’t test DNA, you had to have a bone in Chidorigafuchi. That's the story, but it's the opposite of the argument that it was up until now. "(Apr 2007 DNA Experts Meeting)
Personnel from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare knew for a long time that sloppy remains had been collected for many years.
We re-scooped these facts again in “News 7” on September 12th.
“Correspondence change” The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's 597 miscommunication was announced
After the report, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare changed the response so far.
On September 13, the newly appointed Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Kato stated, “I have to verify once again whether the thoughts and considerations for the survivors of the war dead were really enough,” regarding the problems of the response so far The idea to verify was shown for the first time.
And on September 19, we announced that the remains of 597 Siberian detainees collected so far may not be Japanese. He explained that the suspicion of the mistake was virtually neglected without consulting with the Russian side, and that he did not report to the three ministers such as the minister.
Also, it is clear that the remains of 336 people are still kept in the Chidorigafuchi tombs despite the fact that experts pointed out that they were not `` Japanese '' did.
“The Chidorigafuchi is sleeping a non-Japanese remains.”
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare finally admitted that the words of the people involved in our interview were true.
Former bureaucrats familiar with central ministries said:
“It has been a sloppy and malicious neglect to have been neglected even though problems have been pointed out over and over again. After a long period of time after the war, there was a sense of enthusiasm and work that the collection of remains was an important business. It can be said that the whole MHLW organization is fading, and the survivors' faces of the war dead behind the policy cannot be seen and only the procrastination of inconvenience comes to mind and does not swell It would be a sad thing if there were no voices in the staff saying “It ’s bad if left alone” ”(Professor Masatoshi Nakano, Kobe Gakuin University)
Spreading ripples Canceling dispatch on Russian side
The ripple spread after the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced.
The dispatch of the Japanese remains survey team planned in the coastal region of the Russian Far East in late September was canceled on the Russian side due to a series of problems.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare was trying to continue the collection business even after the problem was discovered. However, executives of organizations that supported the remains collection project on the Russian side criticized:
“The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has lost its trust. It will take a long time for the Japanese public opinion and the Russian government to recognize the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's high level of expertise and trust again.” Relief Cooperation Association Vice Chairman Trotiko)
On the Japanese side, the NPO “Japan Youth Ashes Collection Team”, which cooperated in the remains collection project, will continue to investigate the cause of a series of problems and prevent recurrence. Decided to stop participating.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare finally started to face this issue seriously.
Without coverage ...
We got the e-mail just after the dispatch of the Japanese remains survey team was canceled at the intention of Russia in late September.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, which acknowledged that there was a problem with the past response and was proceeding with the verification. However, in the middle of the email that the person in charge of collecting ashes sent to the people concerned, there was a content that was suspicious.
“When I was heading to Narita, I got in touch with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I was not allowed because of the NHK report this time. The memorial service must have been revived. It is very disappointing and disappointing. "(Email from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare)
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare explained that it was going to be released even if there was no report. "If there is no news ..."
The “real intention” of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare was written in the email. The executive of the collection group to whom the mail was sent threw away.
“The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has blamed the problem of self-sufficiency inviting itself, and I can't say anything with anything.” (Japan War dead remains collection promotion association Director Akagi Mamoru)
Established MHLW verification team
On September 27, when we reported the contents of this e-mail, Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Kato put a head on the bureaucracy's response so far.
“If there is no coverage… the attitude is fundamentally the same as a long-standing problem of misunderstanding, and it ’s a big problem. It ’s a fundamental problem. ”
On October 4th, it announced that it would set up two verification teams. In addition to verifying the problem of the correspondence so far that left the suspicion of misunderstanding, there was no problem in the appraisal method so far, which was judged to be Japanese by looking at the bone shape in the first place It was decided to proceed with the verification.
And in the documentary program, about 1,000 remains of bones collected in the southern battlefield that pointed out the actual situation of sloppy appraisal, we will conduct DNA appraisal again to confirm whether it is Japanese. became.
On October 16, a meeting was held in Tokyo where former Siberian detainees and parliamentarians of the ruling and opposition parties attended to discuss issues of miscarriage. A senior MHLW executive who has repeatedly explained that there is no problem with past responses, has been rigorously pursued by members of the Diet.
“Speaking of concealment, that's true. Appropriate responses are not taken and trust in the business is being questioned” (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Social and Relief Bureau, Supporting Planning Division Director)
The “Pandora Box” has finally opened.
The indelible question The bureaucratic dilemma
We have been interviewed for more than two years, and there is a question that will not disappear. The reason why the bureaucrats did not report to the three political affairs, including the minister, was aware of a serious mistake early on.
Some personnel from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare have spoken out at the meeting for more than a decade or more, saying, “Most remains must be returned to the Russian side.”
However, under the government's flag of “intensively collecting ashes,” bureaucrats spoke and concealed inconvenient facts.
After the announcement of the problem, an official from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said, “I was worried as a serious issue as a person in charge, what kind of effect it has.”
Japan spends much less money and personnel on collecting remains as compared to the US, which has specialized institutions. However, the number of missing people left in the battlefield is more than 13 times that of the United States.
Needless to say, the survey results released this month need to thoroughly clarify the cause of sloppy remains and the responsibilities.
The war dead “dies twice”
A series of issues surrounding the collection of remains are now debated in the Diet.
However, although it is a problem that tramples the thoughts of the bereaved family waiting for the return of the remains, it does not necessarily have a great response compared to other problems.
74 years have passed since the end of the war, and the era has changed to Ryowa. I think that the fact that the memory of war is being weathered in Japanese society is the background that allowed the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to neglect.
Of course, we have been responsible for many years of “hiding”. The question of an anthropologist we introduced in a documentary program is too heavy.
Dr. Shuichiro Amagasaki who has been at the forefront of collecting remains as a survivor of the war dead. In March, two weeks before he died on the spot during the investigation of ashes collection, we left a message to each of us.
“Isn't it our duty to pray for peace for the victims of past wars? When you think about the war dead, don't forget about them. If you stop investigating, you will die twice. "
With these words in mind, we will continue to interview.
(Post-war dead bones interview team) Social reporters Hiromi Honda, Yuichiro Nakamura, Kazuo Fukuda, Yukiaki Matsuo Director of social programs Taku Uchiyama