Letter 3 from Shinji (DMBQ/Boredoms)

> Hi everyone, It's Shinji here. How are you doing?
> Yesterday, April 11th, 1 month passed from the earthquake. However,
> this time unit doesn't have the meaning for the victim either. Now
> only the victims settles down gradually, the life in refuge is not
> changing so much. Although the relief item supply is getting better,
> the infrastructure has not recovered. People in the stricken area says
> hygiene is very bad. Many refuge has no electricity and water supply
> still. Plus, a big aftershock happened in the stricken area again on
> the April 7th, the recovering of the infrastructure retreated further.
> It means the construction of the temporary shelter is not advanced
> well either. Most of the stricken area has been still buried in
> rubbles, and the remains search has not progressed at all. Victims
> grieves that their future is not seen at all. Job, house, life, and
> the administration... so many people lost such usual things at the
> same time. It is not only that over 20,000 people were sacrificed. We
> should think over 20,000 individual cases of family or friend's deaths
> occurred and over 390,000 people lost their house in a moment.
>
> On the other hand, the nuclear accident completely presents the aspect
> of the man-made disaster. The nuclear plant situation is seesaw now,
> however, the government and TEPCO still cannot find the beginning of
> the fundamental solution at all. They only do stopgap treatment still
> now. If they were promptly accepting the international relief, it
> might settle the situation earlier. However, TEPCO and Nuclear And
> Industrial Safety Agency refused the rescue from the overseas for
> information hiding, and the government did not verify little
> information from TEPCO/AISA and they continued to announce uncertain
> information to us. And then, after the expansion of damage became
> impossible to hide, they did information disclosure and the apology
> every time.
> As a result, few days ago Japan released very large amount of
> radioactive substance directly to the sea without international
> permission. This is a foolery of the world first. I think this is a
> mortal sin. We should determine an international criticism. A lot of
> countries have already limited the import of food and other things
> from Japan. The international evaluation of Japan surely falls down.
> The confidence too. You know, we are the huge exporters. Everybody
> could understand whether this silly decision gives how much serious
> damage to Japanese economy.
> Today, April 12th, Fukushima crisis level raised to highest level-7.
> The level-7 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale
> (INES) has so far only been applied to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
> And, at the press interview, TEPCO said as if nothing had happened,
> the burst size of a final radioactive substance might exceed
> Chernobyl. Wow... Can you believe many people are still living around
> this nuclear plant? The evacuation order has not been announced
> officially to them yet. They have to evacuate by their own judgment.
> Judgement? How is danger judged without special equipment? And, the
> government began to plan the expansion of the evacuation area of the
> nuclear accident today. What? They began to plan today!? Everybody
> knows the evacuation area is set wrong. It had been severely advised
> by various media, for 3 weeks or more. A lot of people who do not know
> anything are secretly exposed to radiation already.
> Most big problem under this situation is closed-door of information.
> It makes a big confusion in the stricken area, and ordinary people
> like us too. However, they do not yet do clear information
> disclosure, and are expanding damage quietly. A meaningless harmful
> rumor is also extending surely because people can't get correct
> information. According to the newspaper, the victims of 55% of
> Fukushima Prefecture answered that facts and figures can not get
> there. It is very danger.
>
> I am going to send your donations to Japan Chernobyl Foundation again.
> They are a very few NGO group which is entering to the polluted
> radioactive area to give medical service to victims still now. Many of
> volunteer groups and the Self Defense Forces are doing the rescue
> operation in most regions now. However, the activity in the polluted
> radioactive area is very few, and very important because many sick
> people and old people are still living there. They can't escape to
> another place easily. And, I want to send some to the municipality of
> Minami Soma too. This town in Fukushima is a town where the government
> recommends to town people evacuate by themselves. Most of volunteer
> group doesn't enter this town in the fear of the radioactivity. I feel
> it is reasonable because most of volunteer people are just ordinary
> person. So, relief to them is very weak now. The government is not
> announcing the "evacuation order" officially. The government only
> RECOMMENDS "independent evacuate" to town people. The town people has
> to pay all the costs to evacuate because it is not the evacuation
> order. It is totally crazy but it is truth.
> I could collect $4470 in total through your cooperation. Thank you so
> much. I appreciate it very much. I am very glad so many people are
> still thinking of Japan.
> This week, I am going to send $1470 to JCF, and $3000 directly to the
> municipality of Minami Soma, to their evacuation and relief.
> The Japanese Red Cross has collected over 40000 million yen, however
> the money has not been distributed yet. They are going to form the
> distribution committee in the future, and hold the conference that
> decides distribution. Too slow... This is the most big reason I don't
> like big organization. Many people needs relief as soon as possible
> while the red cross is counting money. A lot of people are saved by
> your prompt action. Thank you so much!
>
> Shinji Masuko/ DMBQ, Boredoms