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Anti-nuclear
activists rally in nation¡¦s train stations
¡¥SAVE TAIWAN¡¦: Protesters said Taiwan, like
Japan, is prone to earthquakes and Taipei is within 30km of two nuclear plants,
and urged construction of the Longmen plant to stop
By Lee I-chia / Staff Reporter
Three months after the nuclear crisis began at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear
power plant in Japan, environmental activists in Taiwan gathered at major train
stations and in front of the legislature on the weekend to promote their vision
of a nuclear-free Taiwan.
The series of rallies across the nation was organized by the Taiwan
Environmental Protection Union (TEPU), a civic group that has dedicated itself
to opposing nuclear energy for more than a decade.
In spite of the high temperatures and afternoon thundershowers, activists,
wearing straw hats and raincoats, stood in front of Taipei Railway Station to
pray in silent tribute to the victims of the powerful earthquake and tsunami
that stuck Japan on March 11, sparking a nuclear crisis.
¡§We [Taiwan] sit on earthquake faults, too, and Taipei is located within a
30km-radius area from the No. 1 and No. 2 nuclear power plants,¡¨ said Gloria Hsu
(®}¥ú»T), a professor of atmospheric sciences at National Taiwan University.
¡§We are one of the most densely populated areas located near nuclear power
plants. Where can we run to if an accident occurs?¡¨ she asked.
In front of Tainan Railway Station, people held posters that read:
¡§Anti-Nuclear, Save Taiwan, Save Our Offspring¡¨ and ¡§I love Taiwan, not nuclear
disasters.¡¨
Specialists and legislators also gave anti-nuclear speeches, distributed flyers
to passersby and asked them to sign a petition to support the abolition of
nuclear power.
In addition, a campaign by TEPU to collect photographs of people holding
anti-nuclear posters at the nation¡¦s 233 train stations continued yesterday,
with the objective of forming a ¡§Taiwan anti-nuclear map¡¨ on the Internet.
Last night, the Green Citizens¡¦ Action Alliance (GCAA), another environmental
organization, called for an emergency gathering in front of the legislature to
protest the government¡¦s plan to continue construction at the Fourth Nuclear
Power Plant in Gongliao District (°^¼d), New Taipei City (·s¥_¥«).
In addition to banners reading: ¡§The people will not pay for it. The Fourth
Nuclear Power Plant isn¡¦t safe,¡¨ candles were lit on sidewalks for Japanese
victims and to mark the launch of the vigil.
After GCAA representatives spoke about their concerns and demands, young people
performed anti-nuclear songs they had composed.
The GCAA said the -construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, also known as
the Longmen plant, was a patchwork by Taiwan Power Co, which has ¡§deliberately
altered the original design,¡¨ adding that it would be much more dangerous than
the existing plants.
The GCAA said the government should, at the very minimum, stop all work at the
plant and make a thorough safety inspection before it pushes the legislature to
pass the budget, adding that the legislature, which exists to protect the
interests of taxpayers, should protect them rather than put them at risk.
They called on legislators on both sides of the aisle to work together to
eliminate the NT$14 billion (US$486.5 million) budget plan for the ¡§dangerous¡¨
Longmen power plant.
The activists vowed to mobilize crowds and besiege the legislature this morning
to urge for the budget to be canceled, while a review and negotiations on the
project take place inside.
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