Bill Eyed in Japan on Aid to Civilian Victims of WWII

Tokyo, June 23 (Jiji Press)--Japanese lawmakers, mainly those from the opposition side, plan to submit a bill on aid to surviving civilian victims of the Pacific War, part of World War II, to the ongoing session of the Diet, or parliament, in early July.

The move was decided Monday by members of a suprapartisan group of lawmakers working to support people who fell prey to airstrikes and other damage during the war.

It will be the first time in 38 years for such a bill to be submitted to the Diet. The group is led by Katsuei Hirasawa, a member of the House of Representatives, the lower parliamentary chamber, from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

The bill will call for a one-time payment of 500,000 yen each to those who became disabled due to airstrikes during the Pacific War and because of the Battle of Okinawa, part of the war in Okinawa, southern Japan, between the now-defunct Japanese military and the Allied powers. It will also stipulate that a survey should be conducted on details of damage.

The legislation is slated to be submitted to the House of Councillors, the upper Diet chamber.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]