More than 20,000 people affected by the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima have set up an association to demand an apology and full compensation from Tokyo Electric Power Company and the national government.

They include members of the 12 organizations suing the utility and the government as well as people who had been acting individually.

About 300 of them met on Sunday in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture.

The group aims to join forces, saying that the government is moving towards lifting evacuation orders and cutting compensation while local residents continue to worry about the ongoing decommissioning of the reactors.

The rally adopted a declaration of organization, which says it will aim to win an apology and full compensation from Tokyo Electric Power Company and the government, and to pursue their criminal responsibility.

Each participant raised a piece of paper on which the words “hold hands” were written, and chanted “We will not give up”.

The group’s joint representative, Ruiko Muto, said those who suffered from the accident have not been fully compensated. She says they want to make their voices bigger by getting organizations to connect with each other.

Source: NHK

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150524_16.html