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 (徐光蓉), 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 (貢寮), New Taipei City (新北市).
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.
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
‘POOP ON STAGE’: The song, which talks about the reluctance to graduate and anxiety about a lack of job opportunities, resonated with many students’ feelings The original song Poop on Stage has been chosen as National Taiwan University’s (NTU) graduation song this year, sparking much debate regarding the song’s title and content, which describes students’ anxiety about post-graduation unemployment. The title, Shang Tai Da Bian (上台大便), is a play on words that literally means “go on stage to poop.” The first three characters, shang tai da (上台大), also mean “to attend NTU,” as “Taida” is a common abbreviation for the university. The last character, bian (便), can mean “convenient” or “then,” but is more commonly associated with defecation. The lyrics of the song describe students’ reluctance to graduate and
RSS