Japanese Mayor of Minami, 25 Km from Fukushima issues SOS for evacuation help

[flamingdem]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70ZHQ--cK40


http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/mayor-of-fukushima-city-in-restricted-area-appeals-to-world-over-injustice-of-directive

‘‘Even volunteers and those delivering relief supplies have no choice but to enter (the city) at their own risk,’’ said a grim-looking Sakurai, wearing the same sort of protective clothing worn by workers in charge of disaster relief and other emergencies. ‘‘Residents are being forced into starvation.’‘
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commentary
The mayor of Minami Soma city, located 25 km away from the Fukushima plant, had decided to bypass the traditional channels in requesting assistance out of disgust and frustration with the government's handling of the disaster, and instead is appealing to the entire world. In the clip, mayor Katsunobu Sakurai says: "We are left to ourselves... we risk dying of hunger." Minami Soma, once a city of over 70,000 and which may now be down to as little 20,000, is asking for volunteers to do what the Japanese government refuses to do: namely to help those most in need of if not help, then at least potentially life-saving information. The mayor expresses his disappointment at the lack of support from the central government for the city’s remaining residents, and accuses the government of not providing sufficient information to help in the decision making process. Making things worse is that the remaining citizens, many of whom who are trying to evacuate, are unable to do so as there is no gas or means for transportation. Unfortunately, by the time the Japanese crisis is done, cities like Minami Soma, far beyond the 20 km evacuation zone, will be nothing more than ghost towns.

[flamingdem]

1. His area is home to 1,000 years of Samurai tradition and many festivals

He mentions this about 2/3 rds of the way through, this is also a cultural tragedy for Japan.

Where is the help from all the lovers of Japanese culture and people?

[crickets]

2. Those poor people in Minamisoma

They should have been evacuated. It's one thing to be asked to stay inside for a day or so if conditions are expected to improve, it's quite another to ask people to stay indoors indefinitely during a developing situation that continues to go from bad to worse.

Fate of Those Living Near Power Plant Raises Concerns
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704587004576240403021796310.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

...The plight of Mr. Takahashi and other residents nearby is becoming one of the most pressing questions of Japan's nuclear drama, as authorities struggle to regain full control of the embattled Fukushima Daiichi plant. Trapped in a no-man's land between areas with potentially dangerous radiation and areas without unusual readings, they are agonizing over whether to stay or to abandon communities they may never see again in normal times.
-snip

The area in the next 10 kilometers, stretching out to the 30-kilometer boundary, is busy, with at least 20,000 of its 140,000 residents still there despite shortages of food and fuel. Most are in the city of Minamisoma, parts of which are within the 20-kilometer to 30-kilometer zone, parts of which are outside. In recent days, authorities have acknowledged they may need to extend the size of the evacuation area, potentially encompassing all of the city, while American authorities have suggested people stay 80 kilometers away from the facility.
-snip

What's stressful, the city official said, is being stuck indoors when people need to start rebuilding and repairing roads, some of which were damaged in the disaster.

For now, Minamisoma city seems to be in a pocket of relatively lower radition, but given the difficulty of going through more dangerous areas to get to them, they're still screwed. People are talking about rebuilding, clinging to the unrealistic hope that things will return to normal and they can go on with their lives as before, while the government dithers over extending the evacuation zone. Drawing out the inevitable this way is just cruel.

[Hannah Bell]

3. you're always late on these things.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=794700&mesg_id=794700

[flamingdem]

4. Oh you mean someone posted that before, that's just terrible

oh thank you so much Hannah Bell for your valuable input about DU protocol!

[flamingdem]

5. You are the only person writing shitty things to me on DU, other than the pro-nuke crowd

I'm not interested in your DU trip. Refrain from commenting to me or on my threads thank you.

[Hannah Bell]

6. you consider that post a shitty thing? i think your dig was much shittier.

[flamingdem]

7. I suggest using the ignore button THE END nt

[Hannah Bell]

8. why don't you suggest it to yourself?