Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday issued an apology for the government's failure to make good on its pledge to remove radioactive waste from Orchid Island by the end of this year.
But he hesitated to set a deadline for the Cabinet to redress the problem despite pressure from Aboriginal lawmakers, one of whom vowed to take the grievance to the constitutional court.
"I'm willing to apologize on the government's behalf for its failure to relocate radioactive waste from Orchid Island as previously prom-ised," Yu said in response to a question from Aboriginal legislator Walis Pelin (
But the premier said he could not promise when and how he would right the wrong, as related government agencies have had difficulty finding a solution.
Since 1988, the government has stored nearly 100,000 barrels of radioactive waste on the sparsely populated island and promised to remove it by the end of this year.
With the deadline approaching, Yu admitted publicly it is impossible for his Cabinet to implement the policy inherited from the KMT administration.
The premier said he has always opposed storing the waste on Orchid Island, as the government of the day did not consult residents there while formulating the policy.
"In my view, the government should promptly remove the waste without any excuse," Yu said. He pledged to try his best but refused to provide a timetable.
Yu's apologetic statements failed to pacify Aboriginal lawmakers, however. May Chin (高金素梅), another independent legislator, said she was disappointed at the premier's evasiveness.
"What's done is done," Chin said, painting a "rainbow bridge" across her face to underscore her background. "All I care about is when the government will start taking action and remove waste from Orchid Island."
She demanded the premier earmark funds for the purpose when preparing the spending plan for next year.
"My tribesmen have been fooled long enough," Chin said.
But Yu refused to be pinned down, saying, "I cannot make a promise I cannot fulfill later."
He said Taipower has sought unsuccessfully to find alternative repository sites at home and abroad over the years.
Chin suggested the premier make an apology to the scores of Aboriginal people who were visiting the legislature yesterday.
"The DPP owes its rise to power in part to the support of Aborigines," Chin said. "Now the government must not continue ignoring their plight. They are tired of living with radioactive waste."
Though expressing sympathy, the premier said he found an extra apology unnecessary. He did acknowledge that Aboriginal people have received unfair treatment over the years.
"The Cabinet is determined to reverse the longstanding situation," Yu said. "You can tell its resolve by the recent appointment of a distinguished Aborigine to head a Cabinet council."
Unconvinced, Chin said she would seek recourse with the Council of Grand Justices.
She said she was particularly upset over allegations that the Cabinet has channeled funds earmarked for cleaning up radioactive waste to other state-run entities.
Earlier, PFP Legislators Lin Chung-te (林春德) and Lin Cheng-er (林正二), both Aborigines, had voiced similar concerns.
"For a long time Aborigines have been marginalized at the workplace and within society at large," Lin Chung-te said.
He proposed introducing a rule that would confine presidential candidates to citizens whose ancestors have lived in Taiwan for 1,000 years, while Lin Cheng-er suggesting the vice presidency be open only to Aborigines.
A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
RSS