Japan's government on Friday rejected calls from a UN rights expert to halt the return of women and children to areas affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster over radiation fears.

UN special rapporteur Baskut Tuncak on Thursday warned that people felt they were "being forced to return to areas that are unsafe, including those with radiation levels above what the government previously considered safe."

In the wake of the Fukushima disaster, Japan's government lifted its standard for the acceptable level of radiation to 20 millisieverts per year from 1 millisievert.

It has been urged to revise that level back down again, but has rejected calls to do so, a decision Tuncak called "deeply troubling."

"Japan has a duty to prevent and minimise childhood exposure to radiation," he said.

But Japan's government rejected the criticism, saying Tuncak's comments were based on "one-sided information and could fan unnecessary fears about Fukushima," a foreign ministry official told AFP.

Japan's government has gradually lifted evacuation orders on large parts of the areas affected by the disaster, which occurred when a massive tsunami sent reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant into meltdown in March 2011.

But other areas remain under evacuation orders because of continued high levels of radiation.

Japan's government has pushed hard to return affected areas to normal, but has faced criticism that what it refers to as "safe" radiation levels are not in line with international standards.

Around 12,000 people who fled their homes for fear of radiation have filed dozens of lawsuits against the government and the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of the stricken nuclear plant.

The Fukushima disaster was the worst since Chernobyl in 1986, though there has only been one death linked to it. More than 18,000 people were killed or left missing in the tsunami that prompted the meltdown.

nf/sah/tom/mtp

TEPCO - TOKYO ELECTRIC POWER

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Japan 'confirms first Fukushima worker death from radiation'
Tokyo (AFP) Sept 5, 2018
Japan has announced for the first time that a worker at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant has died after being exposed to radiation, Japanese media reported. The man aged in his 50s developed lung cancer after he was involved in emergency work at the plant between March and December 2011, following the devastating tsunami. The Japanese government has paid out compensation in four previous cases where workers contracted cancer following the disaster, according to Jiji news agency. Howeve ... read more