In September, 2005 the report “The Heritage of Chernobyl: medical, ecological and social and economic consequences” prepared under the initiative and with financial support of IAEA, has been presented to world community.

Public was surprised to hear that the consequences of Chernobyl accident have been exaggerated, that not radiation, but lack of information, unreasonable fears and wrong implementation of resettlement program are accounted for major health problems. That expected mortality from radiation cancer will be not significantly different amid the deaths caused by other reasons. Not radiation but poverty and immoral life style (smoking, promiscuous sex, etc.), defects of mental health widely spread in former USSR, mainly affected residents of Chernobyl areas. It is also said in the report that radiation situation is better there than it is in resorts, that support of Chernobyl sufferers is causing a welfare mentality and forming the psychology of victims.

Building on their conclusions on this “scientific” data report authors propose to significantly reduce the programs of support to Chernobyl victims.

This cynical profanation of the consequences of the biggest technogenic disaster in history is a sacrilege towards numerous Chernobyl victims; it pushes a new round of pro-nuclear propaganda aimed to restoration of NPP construction programs. This is the main reason why nuclear industry wishes the whole world to forget Chernobyl.

Pseudoscientific arguments of the IAEA’ experts are build on the methods of radiation risks estimation developed by the nuclear industry itself. The report openly ignores, tendentiously interprets, and even sometimes falsifies the results of the research of thousands of specialists from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia (mostly the works of western specialists sometimes not insufficiently familiar with real situation were taken into account); it dissembles the data on the impact of Chernobyl to the countries beyond former USSR borders.

But it is impossible to “call off” Chernobyl:

• The memory about dozens of thousands of Chernobyl victims not mentioned in officially falsified reports, keeps us from forgetting about this disaster.

• The danger of genetic consequences that will horribly echo in dozens of generations, keeps us from forgetting about this disaster.

• The concern about destiny of millions of suffering from diseases that according to IAEA’ experts have no relationship to radiation but occur (strangely!) mainly on Chernobyl areas, keeps us from forgetting about this disaster.

• The concern about internal irradiation of Chernobyl’ areas residents that is growing rather than reducing, keeps us from forgetting about this disaster.

Instead of calling for oblivion of Chernobyl, we must be prepared to mass radiogenic cancer after 20 years of latent period. We must concern about life-long medical care for those irradiated in utero, whose mental development is damaged. There is a need to concentrate efforts on the development of new capable methods of individual biodosimetry (to organize targeted and efficient help). There is a need to give hundreds of thousands of liquidators who have been swept out of normal life by atomic Moloch, possibility to live as they deserved.

On the eve of 20 year anniversary of Chernobyl disaster we appeal to all political parties of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus and other European countries pronouncing their concern about peoples welfare, to pay attention to the importance of both researching of safe ways of the energy development and the moral obligation of society to care about victims of the most horrible technogenic disaster in history. First 20 years are only the beginning of recompense for Chernobyl.

Valentina Mel’nikova, on behalf of “United People’s Party of the Mothers of Solders”,

Vladimir Ryzkov, on behave of “Russian Republican Party”,

Alexey Yablokov, on behalf of “Green Russia” Party,

Grygory Yavlinsky, on behalf of “YABLOKO” Party

Moscow, Russia,

September 17th, 2005.

18/09/2005