In 2016, nineteen people with disabilities were brutally murdered by a former employee of a residential facility in Sagamihara, Japan. NDY reported on this Hate Crime: A killing rampage targets disabled people and on an ONLINE VIGIL FOR THE MURDERED DISABLED PEOPLE OF SAGAMIHARA. We also wrote a Statement on the First Anniversary of the Sagamihara Murders in support of those holding an event in remembrance of the lives lost.
Disability activists in Japan are now protesting a decision to hold the Paralympic Torch ceremony at the site of this horrific massacre, an institution which symbolizes the segregation and dehumanization of people with disabilities. Their Statement protesting this decision is below.
Independent Living Center Ring Ring
President Etsuko Nakao
We are a disability rights organization advocating for community living no matter how severe the disabilities are. We achieve Independent Living through 24-hour personal assistance support and we have been working to raise awareness about the existence of persons with disabilities.
According to news reports on March 21, Kanagawa Prefecture, Sagamihara-City, and Kanagawa Kyodokai have made decision to bring a flame lightening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games to an institution “Yamayuri-en.”
We have lost our words by learning such horrible news.
Furthermore, knowing that they are claiming that “Yamayuri-en to become the origin of Inclusive Society” – we have nothing but deep indignation about this idea.
Even the media seem to be praising this whole concept by the way they are reporting.
This is a statement of protest by people with disabilities against the violation of human rights and outrageous act.
“Yamayuri-en” is a segregated institution that held more than 150 people with disabilities under very poor conditions. It is a very place that on July 26, 2016 – 19 people with intellectual disabilities were killed and 24 people with intellectual disabilities and 2 staff were injured by an ex-staff.
This worst murder case since the end of World War II horrified people with disabilities around the world and revealed serious discrimination.
Has our society geared by and for the non-disabled already forgot that massacre?
A media report says that “The torch ceremony will be held at “Yamayuri-en”to demonstrate both nationally and internationally the strong determination for the inclusive society.” However, institutionalization is totally opposite of the inclusive society and they are the very place that segregates and denies the existence of people with disabilities.
There are abuse against residents with disabilities at Yamayuri-en before and even after the murder case.
People with disabilities are controlled and deprived of their dignity and human rights in a “detention camp” which can hardly be called a place of living.
How can such a place be the origin of the inclusive society?
This false way of demonstrating the will for the inclusive society is not only an insult to people with disability in Japan, but also leads to international recognition of Japan as a state which violates human rights, as the UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) clearly states that institutionalization is a form of discrimination against people with disabilities.
No matter how openly operated to the community, the institutions are nothing but institutions as long as it locks up group of people with disabilities.
There are no persons with disabilities who is willing to be admitted in the institutions.
Those who have been killed at Yamayuri-en, their lives were taken instantly on the ground that “people with disabilities have no value to live.”
This case should be recognized as a genocide based on hatred against us, people with disabilities.
After the incident, however, Japan’s Prime Minister said nothing and took no action as a nation to confront with this genocide.
It brings us intense anger that, now again, even the death of people with disabilities are being dominated and used by the culture of the non-disabled and by the nation.
What is “Inclusive Society”, really?
Have you ever once heard the voice of persons with disabilities?
It is simply not possible to realize an “inclusive society” only by non-disabled individuals.
Therefore, we strongly protest the lightning ceremony of the Paralympic Games at “Yamayuri-en” and once again express that, with our very existence as people with disabilities, we confront the idea of eugenics.
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