As the second anniversary of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster approaches, several civic groups have begun planning a series of anti-nuclear events, while legislators and political figures are getting ready to discuss the issue.
Flags printed with the shape of Taiwan that read “No nukes, No more Fukushima” have been hung in front of several coffee shops, stores and houses, showing the owners’ stance against nuclear power.
The flag initiative was started by a coffee shop owner in Taipei, by hanging the flags in several coffee shops on the same day as a silent demonstration of the owners’ anti-nuclear ideals, and the project later spread across the nation to include other stores and individuals.
The Green Citizen Action Alliance (GCAA) said that more than 4,000 flags have been sold, and many people have brought the flags to various locations to take photographs, such as on top of mountains or during dives in the ocean.
In addition, a nuclear power abolition demonstration held by various civic groups across the nation is planned for March 9, in Taipei, Greater Taichung, Greater Kaohsiung and Taitung.
GCAA coordinator Wang Shun-wei (王舜薇) said the parades will be formed by local civic groups, using various methods and visual designs to express the public’s opposition to nuclear power.
In addition, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus said that it will make a draft law on the promotion of a nuclear-free homeland a priority bill for review in the next legislative session, while the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus said the Cabinet and the legislature have to improve negotiations.
In the previous legislative session, a proposal by the DPP to cut off extra funds for the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant — the Longmen (龍門) plant in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Gongliao District (貢寮) — was not approved by the legislature, losing by two votes.
DPP Legislator Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) said the government should at least allow residents living near the plant to vote via referendum on whether the plant should be put into operation, but enacting the law would be an effective and direct way to stop the plant’s commercial operation.
KMT caucus whip Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池) said the party also recognized the ideal of a nuclear-free homeland, but political parties must face the practical issues of resources, and the public may not be able to accept increased electricity prices or regulated power usage, so everyone should discuss nuclear policies rationally.
Moreover, former DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday that the public thinks the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant is unsuitable for operating in Taiwan and hopes the nation can become a nuclear-free homeland.
If the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant begins commercial operations, it is expected to run for decades, so it would not be a good start for achieving a nuclear-free Taiwan, she added.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year. Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station. Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up. He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous. With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the
Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
RSS