Taiwan Church News
3342 Edition
March 14 – 20, 2016
Headline News
Farewell Nuclear Power And Facing Nuclear Waste
Reported by Chiu Kuo-rong
On March 12, an annual anti-nuclear parade, entitled as “Farewell Nuclear Power And Facing Nuclear Waste” was held in Taipei. This annual event, demanding three Taiwan nuclear power plants stopping operation as early as possible and abolishing No. 4 nuclear power plant immediately, was organized by the National Nuclear Abolition Action Platform and taken into the streets by over 7,000 people from 60 anti-nuclear groups.
Regarding the low-level radioactive nuclear waste, which was “temporarily stored” at Orchid island, Mr Sinan Mavivo, chief executive of the Foundation of Orchid Tribal Culture, pointed out that any nuclear waste site should be legislated by the congress. Mr Mavivo strongly protested against KMT government’s arbitrary choice of his home town, the aboriginal Orchid Island, as the site of nuclear waste. In the meantime, the Tao aboriginal people on Orchid island had been promised to relocate current nuclear waste site for years, yet still without any substantial action, complained Mr Mavivo.
On the problem how the high-level radioactive nuclear waste should be handled, Wilang Toli, an youth from Nan-ao Township, expressed his fury saying “These nuclear waste should be dumped on the streets in Taipei, since the government said the people around the nuclear waste site have received advantages from the tax payers.” In 2015, KMT government chose Nan-ao township, a mountainous area at the east of Taroko National Park, as the final site for high-level radioactive nuclear waste.
Wilang Toli delivered his sarcastic criticism toward the schizophrenia of Taiwan society and the government, especially on KMT’s double standard at human rights and nuclear waste policy toward the aboriginal people. How can people chant human rights and enjoy cheap energy so effortlessly, while heartlessly burying the long-lasting radioactive nuclear waste at the beautiful home land of aboriginal peoples?
Translated by Peter Wolfe
With 7,000 people taking to the streets, an annual anti-nuclear parade, entitled as “Farewell Nuclear Power And Facing Nuclear Waste”, was held in Taipei on 12 March, 2016.
Photo by Chiu Kuo-rong