デモのおはなし：私的ドイツ

ドイツは福島原発の事故を受けて、数日後には国内の原発のうち1980年以前に稼働した7基すべての稼働を3ヶ月間一時停止することを早々に決断しました。ドイツや他国の原発事情をこの事故をきっかけに知った方も多いと思います。日本がいかに狂った状況かも。

原発事故の一週間後くらいに、ドイツの脱原発事情を調べていて、昨年に書かれた在ドイツ日本人の方のブログを読んでいました（今はもう埋もれて見つからず）。日本に比べて自然エネルギーへの転換も脱原発への動きも進展がかなりあるドイツでも、脱原発先送りの動きもあったからか、ほぼ毎月のように脱原発のデモや集会が各地であるようで「昨年は 10万人超の規模」というのを見ていいなーと思っていた矢先、気味が悪いくらい偶然に、原子力問題の専門家で脱原発運動をしているイギリス人の知人 S から電話があり「今週の土曜 (3/26) にベルリンでデモがあるので日本人アクティビストとしてスピーチをして来てくれないか」と依頼がありました。日本からのスピーカーの都合がつかなく、実はそのとき私はイギリスにいたので、ドイツから近場に（たまたま）いる日本人で多少反対運動にかかわったことがある人としてお声がかかったのでした。でもわたしは運動の前線でやってきたわけでもないし、そんな民衆の前の壇上でスピーチなんかできないと思い、かなり戸惑いましたが、これは日本でのエネルギーシフトの運動のためにもなる！と思って引き受けました。結局オチから言うと、この話は主催者がスピーチの時間の調整ができないということで前日にキャンセルとなって、かなり脱力したのですが、後からこれがあの 25万人規模のデモ（でもこの数字はたぶんベルリン一カ所でなく複数の各地区のデモでの参加者の合計）だと知って心拍数が上昇（ほっ）。

実は徹夜をしてこの叶わなかったスピーチのドラフトを書いていて、別に大した内容ではないのだけど、お蔵入りさせておくよりここに出しておこうと思います（英文）。主な内容としては「まったく罪のない子どもがスクリーニング検査を受けている映像を見て涙がでたこと。復興のために地元のビジネス再起が重要になるのに農家や漁業にすでに風評被害がでていて、彼らの生活の糧は原発に奪われたということ。人間の手で制御できないもの（原子力）は手をつけてはいけないこと。原発を押しつけられた町と原発のない都市の差別、被ばくの危険がある仕事とない仕事の差別、不公平の上に原発の電気はつくられていること。ドイツでは津波はないだろうけど、原発事故と同時に複数の事故が起きたときには原発が最優先されるであろうこと（原発のせいで救える命を救えないこと）。私はただ水道の水が使いたくて、国産の野菜や魚が食べたくて、外で子どもを遊ばせたくて、洗濯物を外に干したくて、普通の生活がしたいだけのこと。日本の市民もドイツの市民のように声をあげてほしいこと。ドイツの活発な市民運動で日本でも市民の力で変えられる！と勇気づけてほしいこと・・・」などです。

Unfortunately, the situation in Fukushima nuclear power plant has not drastically improved, it is still very serious. I am deeply sorry and worry about the people in Fukushima, who suffered terrible damage by earthquake and tsunami, plus now severe radiation. In evacuation camps, and in their houses, they are worrying about this moment and the tough future living within a radioactive hometown. I cried when I saw a baby undergoing a radiation screening check on TV. Nothing is their fault. Also, Fukushima people will need to work on their local business to bring their town back to normal, but there is already the harmful news that you shouldn’t eat vegetables and fish from Fukushima. I can say, people’s life in Fukushima was ruined by this one nuclear accident.

Any nuclear power plant accidents are human-made disasters Tokyo electric company said, “The accident of Fukushima was beyond our assumption,” yes, it was the biggest scale of natural disaster, but it is not acceptable to have “beyond assumption” when discussing dangerous nuclear power plant. We really shouldn’t utilize something that is impossible to control well by human being. People who live in the towns which have nuclear plants are persuaded “Nuclear plants are safe,” but that real meaning is “It should be safe, but you may get radiation in such cases when we cannot control it”… The areas which have nuclear plants are always remote, poor small towns. Now, people in Tokyo and other cities where don’t have nuclear plants finally realized – we subjected others to a danger whilst we casually used the energy everyday. I felt that this is so unfair way of creating energy, humanely and environmentally. People in Tokyo and surrounding areas are now paying the price for it through the inconvenience of power black-outs since the Fukushima nuclear plant stopped working. I believe that if there had been no nuclear reactor emergency and a rapidly focused rescue had taken place for earthquake/tsunami sufferers then many lives may have been saved in the North of Japan. Germany probably will not suffer from an earthquake or tsunami, but I just can tell you this – If several serious accidents happened at the same time within a nuclear plant, then all other casualties will be taken care of later and the dealing with the nuclear danger becomes the priority.

A few days ago, Japanese authorities warned that infants in Tokyo and the surrounding areas should not drink the tap water because a slight amount of radioactive iodine was had been detected in the Tokyo water supply. People’s anxiety caused panic buying of bottled waters. All the people in Japan are now living with invisible terror of radiation, even though they have been told it is a slight amount. Our lives were totally different before and after the earthquake day.

I just want my normal life to be back.

I just simply want to use tap water and eat vegetables grown in Japan.

I just want to breath fresh air deeply.

I just want my child to play outside in the park.

An accident at a nuclear plant takes those simple things from you...

I always admire and respect Germany as an advanced country on ecological thinking. I know now that was created by strong public voices, nothing else. I really hope that the Japanese public will overcome this disaster, and use this toughest time as a chance to finish nuclear energy and move to renewable energy. Japan lags behind in terms of ecological policy. I really hope that the Japanese public stands up for it just like the public in Germany. I want the German public to lead the right way on nuclear issues and to encourage the Japanese public’s power, that would be such an inspiration and hope in our future. Thank you.

March, 26, 2011

* This message of mine has been written for a speech to public in Germany at Anti-Nukes rally on last month in Berlin, was supposed to happen but wasn't unfortunately :( ... so let me release it here.