Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi issued a statement of apology Friday to former Hansen's disease patients for a government policy that forced them into decades of isolation.
The written statement was approved by Koizumi's Cabinet in the morning, along with a separate government statement on his decision Wednesday not to appeal against a landmark court ruling ordering the state to pay compensation to the patients.
"We seriously accept the fact that the policy to put Hansen's disease patients in institutions served as a major limitation and restriction to many patients' human rights, and that there has been extremely severe prejudice and discrimination against such people among the public," the document says.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.