TAIWAN: March against nuclear power

Record ID: 213914

  • Title: TAIWAN: March against nuclear power
  • Date: 9th March 2013
  • Summary: TAIPEI, TAIWAN (MARCH 9, 2013) (REUTERS) PEOPLE GATHERING IN FRONT OF PRESIDENTIAL PALACE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE SIGN READING: END TO THE FOURTH NUCLEAR PLANT PROTESTERS HOLDING PLACARD PLACARD SHOWING MOCK IMAGE OF TAIWAN PRESIDENT MA YING-JEOU MOCK IMAGE OF MA WITH TUMOURS PEOPLE HOLDING FLAGS AND BANNERS PEOPLE WAVING FLAGS IN FRONT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE BALLOON WITH WORDS: NO NUCLEAR DISASTER PEOPLE HOLDING BANNERS SIGN READING: FOR OUR OWN KIDS ANTI-DANGEROUS NUCLEAR POWER (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 36-YEAR-OLD DESIGNER, A-BIN, SAYING: "Godzilla is a lizard-turned monster after a nuclear detonation, I think it shows that we are unwilling to be affected by radiation." (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 35-YEAR-OLD INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY WORKER, WU CHI-NAN, SAYING: "We have very limited channels to voice out our concerns, this issue has nothing to do with political parties, but it is related to the health of our next generation. If we are unable to treat nuclear waste, then we should not use nuclear power so hastily, especially using an unsafe fourth nuclear plant. I bring my child here to let her learn about voicing our rights." PEOPLE GATHERING PEOPLE HOLDING BANNERS AND FLAGS PLACARD READING: STOP NUCLEAR AND RESCUE TAIWAN PEOPLE MARCHING RELIGIOUS GROUP MARCHING RELIGIOUS GROUP HOLDING SIGN READING: NO NUKE (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 61-YEAR-OLD BANK RETIRED LI WAN-YI SAYING: "We care about our land, after seeing so many disasters, we know nuclear disasters are scary, and Taiwan lies in an earthquake zone, one of the most dangerous earthquake zones in the world perhaps. Of course we should stand up and protest." PEOPLE MARCHING PEOPLE HOLDING BANNERS AND FLAGS PLACARD READING: WE WANT LOVE AND NOT NUCLEAR HARM GAY RIGHTS GROUPS PROTESTING PLACARD READING: I AM GAY AGAINST NUCLEAR
  • Embargoed: 24th March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Taiwan, Province of China
  • Country: Taiwan
  • Topics: Environment,Energy
  • Reuters ID: LVA696UEDNC8QZBD7JU42ZX98SGH
  • Story Text: Tens of thousands of anti-nuclear protesters gathered in front of the Presidential Palace in Taipei on Saturday (March 9) ahead of the second anniversary of Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami that unleashed the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
    Protesters held up anti-nuclear signs reading "No Nuclear Disaster," and many brought their young children to demand the government stall the construction of its fourth nuclear power plant to provide a safe environment for the next generation.
    Wearing a mask of Japanese fictional monster, Godzilla, 36-year-old designer A-bin said he wants to stay away from radiation effects.
    "Godzilla is a lizard-turned monster after a nuclear detonation, I think it shows that we are unwilling to be affected by radiation," he said.
    Participating the rally with his daughter and wife, 35-year-old information technology industry worker Wu Chi-nan said he wanted to teach his daughter to voice her rights.
    "We have very limited channels to voice out our concerns, this issue has nothing to do with political parties, but it is related to the health of our next generation. If we are unable to treat nuclear waste, then we should not use nuclear power so hastily, especially using an unsafe fourth nuclear plant. I bring my child here to let her learn about voicing our rights," he said.
    Taiwan's ruling Nationalist Party, a backer of the construction of the fourth nuclear power plant, bowed to opposition demands last week to hold a referendum on halting the construction of its two reactors in New Taipei City county in northern Taiwan.
    Construction is 98 percent completed and tests have begun on the first reactor.
    Any halt to the project would incur huge costs, with the budget standing at T$283.8 billion ($9.57 billion), according to state-owned Taipower, and the cabinet is expected to seek additional funds in June.
    But many Taiwanese, like 61-year-old retiree from a bank Li Wan-yi said he fears a Fukushima-scale disaster could happen to Taiwan, because earthquakes happen frequently on the island.
    "We care about our land, after seeing so many disasters, we know nuclear disasters are scary, and Taiwan lies in an earthquake zone, one of the most dangerous earthquake zones in the world perhaps. Of course we should stand up and protest," he said.
    Two years ago in Japan, the magnitude 9.0 earthquake unleashed a wall of water that hit the northeast coast, killing nearly 16,000 and leaving nearly 3,300 unaccounted for.
    Opposition to nuclear power swept across the world following the 2011 crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant, triggered by the earthquake and tsunami.
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