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USA Memorial Day protest against unsafe Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant

protest-nuclearFlag-USAGroup protests Pilgrim nuclear plant safety plan  http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/25610835/group-protests-pilgrim-nuclear-plant-safety-plan#ixzz32xg16R3C May 26, 2014 SAGAMORE, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) — Protesters gathered near the Sagamore Bridge Monday to highlight safety concerns about the Pilgrim nuclear power plant.

The protesters say the current emergency plan is unacceptable because it doesn’t include a viable evacuation route in the event of an accident. 

The protest comes just two months after Gov. Deval Patrick wrote to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He said the Plymouth plant should be decommissioned if it can’t follow safety regulations.

Pilgrim has been relicensed through 2032 and its operators say it is safe.

May 27, 2014 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, USA | Leave a comment

IN Japan, huge public opposition to nuclear power is ignored by the Abe government

Abe NUCLEAR FASCISMAbe administration ignored massive public opposition to nuclear power Asahi Shimbun,  By ATSUSHI KOMORI/ Senior Staff Writer, 25 May 14,  More than 90 percent of respondents during a public comment period on the Abe administration’s basic energy policy were opposed to nuclear power generation, according to an Asahi Shimbun estimate released on May 25.

The Asahi Shimbun made the determination by tallying how many flag-japanof 2,109 of about 19,000 comments sent to the government from December to January were in opposition.

Failing to take into account that overwhelming public sentiment, the Cabinet approved in April the basic energy policy, which described nuclear power generation as an “important base load electricity source.” The base load electricity source means that nuclear power will continue to be relied on to meet a percentage of the electricity demand, regardless of the season or time of day.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry released on Dec. 6, 2013, the draft of the basic energy policy, the first compiled by the Abe administration since the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant triggered by the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

After releasing the draft, the Abe administration gathered public comments for a month until Jan. 6 through e-mails, faxes and other means. In all, about 19,000 responses were sent to the government.

The industry ministry disclosed representative comments in February. However, it did not tally how many replies it received were for or against nuclear power generation………..

As for the 2,109 e-mails, The Asahi Shimbun counted how many were for or against nuclear power generation. It found that 2,008 of them, or 95.2 percent, opposed nuclear power generation. Only 33, or 1.6 percent, supported nuclear power. The remaining 68 e-mails, or 3.2 percent, were “other replies.”

As for the reasons why they opposed nuclear power generation, many of the 2,008 respondents said that the nuclear accident in Fukushima Prefecture has yet to be resolved or that there are no disposal sites for spent nuclear fuels. Some of the comments also criticized the draft plan, which regarded nuclear power as an important electricity source, for going against public opinion……… http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201405250023

May 26, 2014 Posted by | Japan, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

Anti-nuclear protestors plan rally against Pilgrim nuclear power plant i

protest-nuclearFlag-USAPilgrim nuclear plant protesters to gather at Sagamore Bridge http://www.gazettenet.com/businessmoney/12117764-95/pilgrim-nuclear-plant-protesters-to-gather-at-sagamore-bridge Sunday, May 25, 2014 BOURNE — Protesters are planning to gather near the Sagamore Bridge on Memorial Day to highlight concerns about the safety of the Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Plymouth.

The protesters called the current emergency plan in the event of an accident at the power plant unacceptable for those on the Cape.

The protest comes two months after Gov. Deval Patrick wrote the Nuclear Regulatory Commission expressing concerns about the plant. Patrick said he was writing on behalf of 15 southeastern Massachusetts communities.

Patrick said he shares their concerns because of what he called the lack of a “viable evacuation route” off of Cape Cod.

The NRC relicensed Pilgrim through 2032. The plant’s operators say it’s safe and secure.Patrick said the NRC should require the plant be decommissioned if it can’t comply with safety regulations.

May 26, 2014 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, USA | 1 Comment

The nuclear industry is not winning hearts and minds in China

flag-ChinaPeople power holds key to China’s nuclear plans FT.com, By Lucy Hornby at Daya Bay, 26 May 14, China’s nuclear industry has in recent years ventured overseas for new opportunities but it is now facing challenges at home gaining public acceptance of its $150bn expansion plans.

Fears of a nuclear power backlash, stoked by recent demonstrations against other large industrial projects, have rattled regulators as well as nuclear operators China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC) and China General Nuclear Power Corp (CGN).

………Last year, China’s only nuclear-related protest to date resulted in the abrupt cancellation of a $6bn uranium processing plant the two groups had proposed for Guangdong province.

Regulators fear images of riot police crushing protests at a reactor site – like this month’s violent clashes over a planned garbage incinerator – could quickly harden attitudes against nuclear power.

“If the government just keeps the same attitude of secrecy as in the past, it will create more problems. They need to pursue nuclear power appropriately and safely otherwise there will be more conflicts between the government and people,” says Cao Heping, who studies green economy at Peking University.

The concerns have even moved Chinese regulators to request help from the UK in the hope its government can offer tips on developing public and media support for nuclear power.

………….In April, premier Li Keqiang urged development of coastal nuclear power plants “when appropriate”. Beijing subsequently gave the green light to three more projects.

Industry executives say Mr Li’s “when appropriate” caveat followed internal discussions about the need to tread carefully, to avoid arousing any anti-nuclear sentiment.

Meanwhile, the meltdown at Fukushima in Japan strengthened Chinese regulators’ hand but also raised worries about public acceptability.

After the Fukushima meltdown, regulators shelved almost half of the 100 or so planned reactor projects due to design or site concerns, including those in earthquake zones or on inland rivers with limited water supply.

That review plus signs of slippage in construction means China could struggle to have all of the new reactors operational in the next six years.

,,,,,,,,Earlier this year, senior energy official Zhang Guobao lambasted CNNC for two-year delays on the Fuqing reactors in Fujian province, which were supposed to showcase CNNC’s indigenous reactor design……….

 China’s protracted crackdown on civil dissent deters local activists from taking the lead publicly on sensitive projects. Opposition can thus quickly turn into street protests despite new government initiatives to allow public feedback and that could prove a problem if public opinion sours on nuclear power.

Local governments often welcome the investment and jobs nuclear projects bring but disagreement among local officials can fuel protests. City officials’ unease over oil company Sinopec’s long-delayed paraxylene plant was a factor http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/a6f10e96-e41c-11e3-a73a-00144feabdc0.html#axzz32rprEjFF

May 26, 2014 Posted by | China, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

Politicians oppose nuclear power in seismic zone in India

flag-indiaLeft parties turns up heat on Kovvada nuclear plant, The Hindu NATIONAL » ANDHRA PRADESH SRIKAKULAM, May 23, 2014  Setting up the plant in seismic zone a threat to people, they say. CITU leader D. Govinda Rao said that workers, residents of Ranasthalam would launch massive agitations soon to oppose the construction activity in Kovvada.

The Left parties have turned the heat on the construction of a nuclear power project in Kovvada of Ranasthalam mandal again after mild tremor rattles the district on Wednesday saying that the project site comes under highly seismic zone and it would be dangerous for the people.

nuke-earthquakeRepresentatives of the Left Parties have asked the government to reconsider its decision over the establishment of the nuclear plant in the district. Senior CPI (M) leader V.G.K. Murthy said that the government should clarify over the dangers posed with the setting up the nuclear plant in a seismic zone. “The Nuclear Power Corporation of India officials always say that adequate precautions would be taken up to avoid disasters during natural calamities. We feel that such disasters can’t be avoided even in highly advanced countries. So, the government should come up with scientific data to clear the doubts of people,” he added.

CITU leader D. Govinda Rao said that workers, residents of Ranasthalam would launch massive agitations soon to oppose the construction activity in Kovvada. He said that several nuclear experts including Surendra Gadekar had already expressed doubts over the safety of the project. Mr. Surendra Gadekar on Sunday cautioned that Srikakulam town would be affected badly with the establishment of nuclear power plant at Kovvada, which is 35 km away from the district headquarters.

According him, Srikakulam, which is very close to Kovvada, would face radiation problem with the establishment of the nuclear power plant with an installed capacity of 10,000 Megawatts…..http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/left-parties-turns-up-heat-on-kovvada-nuclear-plant/article6037482.ece

May 23, 2014 Posted by | India, opposition to nuclear, politics | Leave a comment

Japan’s atomic bomb survivors – now a dwindling band

Hibakusha: Disappearing A-bomb survivors leave movement’s future in question Mainichi By Sakiko Takahashi, Hiroshima Bureau 20 May 14 HIROSHIMA — The sun cast its soft rays on the green summer vegetation as I headed on my way to visit atomic bomb survivor and poet Hiroshi Maruya, 89, this May 1 after I received his invitation…..

“Finally, only I am left,” said Maruya, his eyes wide open and his voice lonely.

At the end of April, a general meeting of an A-bomb survivors’ group was held at Hiroshima Kyoritsu Hospital, for which Maruya serves as honorary head. The subject of the meeting: how to shrink down the group’s activities. As chairman, Maruya spoke to those gathered, saying, “We haven’t the vitality to actively campaign against nuclear weapons, and must have the younger generation take over the reins.”

At the meeting the subject of disbanding the group even came up, but on the request of members it was decided to leave it in existence.

Meanwhile, as Maruya and I talked, he relayed to me his recent activities: heading to Tokyo to demand improvements for a law supporting A-bomb victims and his visit to South Korea’s Hapcheon County, said to be “South Korea’s Hiroshima” because of its many residents who were exposed to A-bomb radiation.

Regarding the end of the activities by A-bomb survivors’ groups as their members die out, Maruya said, “It’s sad, but I think this is what history is. For both nuclear weapons and nuclear plants, it’s about how vividly and carefully people’s memories of them are preserved, and about how much creativity is born in the process.”…….http://mainichi.jp/english/english/features/news/20140520p2a00m0na006000c.html

May 21, 2014 Posted by | Japan, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

UK peace activists make a daring blockade against construction of nuclear weapons

protestBritain: Activists Disrupt Construction of New Nuclear Weapons Factory http://www.globalresearch.ca/britain-activists-disrupt-construction-of-new-nuclear-weapons-factory/5382852 By Global Research News  May 19, 2014by Action AWE (Atomic Weapons Eradication)

flag-UK£2 billion project going ahead, but Parliament has not yet voted on further nuke development.

That’s what you call “democracy”. But it is all for a good cause.  Nuclear weapons are an “instrument of peace”.

Daring dawn blockade of Berkshire’s nuclear weapons factory

This morning at 7.20, a group of people began blockading the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) site at Burghfield, near Reading. The protesters, acting as part of ActionAWE [1], a campaign of nonviolent direct action, are trying to disrupt construction of a new nuclear warhead factory on the site.

The new development at AWE Burghfield is being built at a cost to the tax payer of almost £2 billion, despite the fact that parliament has yet to vote on replacing the current generation of nuclear warheads that the site would build.

The eight protesters, aged between 19 and 40, are locked together using handcuffs inside ‘lock-on’ devices – made from drainpipes, and vegetable oil drums filled with concrete in order to block the gate to the construction site to prevent further work on the site. Traffic is now queued up, unable to enter the facility. The Christians amongst the protesters are singing hymns.

Catherine Bann, 40, mother of two from Todmorden, said: “The money we would spend renewing Trident could pay for all A & E hospital departments in the country for the next 40 years! It’s a huge waste of public money to be investing in nuclear weapons, and people like us must make a stand now, so that future generations do not have to bear the cost.”

Joanna Frew, 35, a member of the United Reformed Church living in London but originally from Scotland, said

“Trident is illegal, immoral and a waste of money. It is the opposite of everything that Jesus teaches us about being co-creators of life and loving your enemies. Political and religious leaders in Scotland are opposed to retaining Trident at Faslane. We have a real opportunity over the next year to say that it is no longer acceptable , and that we don’t want an illegal renewal.”

Phil Wood, 20, a student at Bradford University added

“To be spending millions of pounds and planning to spend billions more on nuclear weapons while cutting back on essential public services that people rely on is unforgivable”.

Matt Fawcett, 39, from Yorkshire CND said Continue reading

May 20, 2014 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, UK | Leave a comment

Political opposition to Miami Nuclear Plant

Tallahassee Rep. To Oppose Miami Nuclear Plant Expansionhttp://news.wjct.org/post/tallahassee-rep-oppose-miami-nuclear-plant-expansion By   May 13, 2014 A Tallahassee lawmaker and a South Florida mayor are planning to ask Florida Gov. Rick Scott to stop the expansion of a Miami nuclear power plant. Scott and his cabinet will hear from Florida Power and Light Tuesday about its plans to add reactors to its Turkey Point plant.

Florida Power and Light’s proposal includes two new nuclear reactors and 89 miles of transmission wires to stretch across nearby towns. The wires are a sticking point for Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner. Lerner is slated to attend the meeting alongside state Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda (D-Tallahassee), who says an expansion of nuclear power has statewide implications.

“What’s really happening is we’re pushing out the desire and need for other innovations and for other renewable energy answers,” she says.

Vasilinda has unsuccessfully sponsored bills repealing power companies’ ability to charge customers for nuclear plants that are never built, as happened recently in Levy County. And she says she’s concerned about the safety of all nuclear reactors as sea levels continue rising.

May 14, 2014 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, USA | Leave a comment

Lin Yi-hsiung will continue his fight against nuclear power in Taiwan

Lin-Yi-hsiung-TaiwanHunger Striker Ends Fast, but Not Fight, Against Nuclear Power in Taiwan NYT, By AUSTIN RAMZY MAY 1, 2014, A former head of Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party has announced that he is ending his hunger strike, but not his campaign, against nuclear power on the island.

The former leader, Lin Yi-hsiung, 72, began his protest on April 22, and it drew attention from Taiwan’s leaders and from protesters, who converged on central Taipei in recent days to say they were inspired by Mr. Lin’s sacrifice.

In announcing the end of his fast on Wednesday, Mr. Lin thanked protesters for their recent campaign against nuclear power.

“Over the past half month, the people of Taiwan’s outstanding display has been unprecedented, which leaves one feeling moved, full of admiration and deeply appreciative,” he wrote in a blog post.

On Monday, the government announced that it was halting work on the Lungmen nuclear power plant in northeast Taiwan, about 20 miles outside Taipei, pending a referendum on its future. The project, known as No. 4, was started more than a decade ago and has cost more than $9 billion………

The 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan has raised concerns among many people in Taiwan about the safety of nuclear power, particularly with a plant that is near the ocean and the island’s largest urban area.

After Sunday’s demonstration, which the police estimated drew 28,500 people and organizers say had as many as 50,000, a smaller number of protesters converged on a main street near Taipei’s main train station. They were forcibly removed by the police using water cannons.

With the halt to construction on the plant and the end of Mr. Lin’s hunger strike, the momentum for antinuclear demonstrations has ebbed somewhat. But smaller protests have continued outside the legislature building this week, and Mr. Lin has called on his supporters to continue pushing for the shutdown of Taiwan’s three other nuclear power plants.

“If work on No. 4 doesn’t resume, it’s no longer an issue,” he wrote. “Nuclear opponents should take a step forward to ensuring the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 nuclear power plants are closed on schedule.” http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/01/hunger-striker-ends-fast-but-not-fight-against-nuclear-power-in-taiwan/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

May 3, 2014 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, Taiwan | Leave a comment

28,500 Taiwanese anti-nuclear demonstrators met with water cannons

flag-TaiwanTaiwan uses water cannon to disperse anti-nuclear protesters The West Australian, 28 April 14, Taipei (AFP) Taiwan police on Monday used water cannon to dislodge hundreds of demonstrators blocking a main road in the capital to demand the scrapping of a controversial nuclear power plant.

An estimated 28,500 anti-nuclear demonstrators had blockaded one of Taipei’s busiest streets Sunday, forcing the ruling Kuomintang party to yield and halt construction work at the nearly completed plant.

The concession prompted many demonstrators to leave but hundreds remained, causing police to use water cannon to disperse them on Monday morning…….

A Kuomintang spokesman announced Sunday there would be no further work on this reactor. After safety checks, it would be sealed.

“Construction of reactor two will be terminated,” the spokesman said. “In the future, any such commercial operation will be decided by a referendum.”

The government has already offered to hold a referendum on the future of the power plant, but opponents say the vote’s proposed terms would be too restrictive.

Protest organisers said they would keep watching to see if the government fulfils its promises……..

Like Japan, Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes. In September 1999 a 7.6-magnitude quake killed around 2,400 people in the island’s deadliest natural disaster in recent history……https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/world/a/23032473/taiwan-uses-water-cannon-to-disperse-anti-nuclear-protesters/

April 29, 2014 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, Taiwan | 1 Comment

People power brings a halt to Taiwan’s new nuclear reactors

text-people-powerTaiwan to halt construction at fourth nuclear power plant The Taiwan government will halt construction at the island’s fourth nuclear power plant as local opposition to atomic energy continues to mount. Australia Network News 28 April 14

President Ma Ying-jeou’s Kuomintang party says a decision has been made to seal off the plant’s first reactor after the completion of safety checks.

And construction of the second reactor will be halted immediately.

The move is the latest sign of pressure on Mr Ma’s administration from opposition parties and anti-nuclear activists, who are concerned about the safety of such facilities in earthquake-prone regions of Taiwan following the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan.

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in downtown Taipei over the weekend, urging the government to abandon nuclear energy……..http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-28/an-taiwan-nuclear-protest/5414294

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou bows to pressure and halts nuclear plant

 KMT leaders push for end to project, despite facility being 98pc complete……… http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1498668/taiwan-president-ma-ying-jeou-bows-pressure-and-halts-nuclear-plant, 28 April, 2014, Lawrence Chung in Taipeilawrence.chung@scmp.com
 

April 28, 2014 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, Taiwan | 1 Comment

100 Taiwanese academics take to the streets in anti nuclear protest

Academics take to the streets against nuclear generation, Taipei Times, 25 April 14  By Loa Iok-sin  /  Staff reporter About 100 academics yesterday staged a silent march from Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building to Gikong Presbyterian
Lin-Yi-hsiung-TaiwanChurch, where former Democratic Progressive Party chairman Lin Yi-xiong (林義雄) has been on a hunger strike since Tuesday, to urge the government to give up nuclear energy.

 “Nuclear power is the most negative product of capitalism and imperialism, it’s a disaster for the disadvantaged,” said Cheng Fei-wen (鄭斐文), an associate professor of sociology at Tung Hai University. “When nuclear disaster occurs, it is the poor, the aged and children who will suffer the most. Even today, the Tao people on Orchid Island still suffer from nuclear waste storage,” he added.

National Chung Cheng University professor Chen Ruey-lin (陳瑞麟) said Taiwan was located in the so-called “Ring of Fire,” where frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean.

“I don’t think Taiwan is qualified to use nuclear energy,” he added…………

Taiwan Association of University Professors president Lu Chung-chin (呂忠津), who teaches electrical engineering at National Tsing Hua University, said the government should not continue to threaten the public by saying that there may be a power shortage without the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.

“It would be better if the government could use this critical time to develop a green energy system for our future,” he said.

The group marched in silence to the church after tying yellow ribbons with the slogan: “Stop the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant; return the power to the people” on police barricades that barred them from getting close to the Presidential Office Building…….http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/04/26/2003588934

April 26, 2014 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, Taiwan | Leave a comment

Lin Yi-xiong: the Power of One very influential anti nuclear Taiwanese

In Taiwan, an Anti-Nuclear Activist With Unusual Pull WSJ China Real Time, 23 April 14 Jenny W. Hsu.A high-profile Taiwanese anti-nuclear activist began a hunger strike on Tuesday to protest construction of the island’s fourth nuclear power plant, in what could become another challenge for the already beleaguered President Ma Ying-jeou.

Lin Yi-xiong, the former chairman of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party and a longtime anti-nuclear activist, vowed to sustain on only water until the government suspends construction of the northern Taipei plant.

Lin-Yi-hsiung-Taiwan


Less than 24 hours after Mr. Lin began his strike, both Mr. Ma and Premier Jiang Yi-hua tried to visit him, only to be turned away. Hunger strikes aren’t uncommon in the oft-fractious island, but Mr. Lin is the first striker who has received personal attention from the president and the cabinet leader…….
Analysts say that given his clout and the public’s already-ballooning opposition to nuclear power, Mr. Ma’s ruling Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, would face more arduous battles ahead of local elections later this year if Mr. Lin dies as a result of his hunger strike.

Mr. Ma—whose approval rating is currently 14%, according to a poll by Taiwan Indicator Survey Research—relied on his accommodative China policies to win re-election in 2012. But these same policies have also become his Achilles heels recently, with more people questioning whether the warmer trade ties with China have benefited Taiwan’s average workers……At 73, Mr. Lin is regarded across party lines as one of the most influential political figures in Taiwan since the 1970s. As a dissident, he was jailed multiple times during the island’s martial law era (1949-87).

In 1980, while Mr. Lin was imprisoned as a dissident, his mother and his seven-year old twin daughters were found stabbed to death in the basement of their home. His oldest daughter survived the attack with severe injuries. The case remain unsolved, and the house, which has been turned into a church, is where Mr. Lin is staging his fast…….Other anti-nuclear activists plan to join Mr. Lin in protest by staging a demonstration in front the Presidential Office on Saturday.http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/04/23/in-taiwan-an-anti-nuclear-activist-with-unusual-pull/

April 25, 2014 Posted by  | Uncategorized | Leave a comment Edi

April 25, 2014 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, Taiwan | Leave a comment

No Faith in Trident tour, by veteran UK anti nuclear campaigner, Bruce Kent

Anti-nuclear campaigner, Bruce Kent, brings crusade to Darlington http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/11167479.Anti_nuclear_campaigner_brings_crusade_to_Darlington/ 23rd April 2014 in News By Hannah Bryan, Report ONE of Britain’s best-known peace campaigners has brought his anti-nuclear crusade to the North-East.

Veteran peace campaigner and retired Catholic priest, Bruce Kent, spoke to crowds at the Friends’ Meeting House, in Darlington, as part of his No Faith in Trident tour.

The 84-year-old highlighted the cost of Trident – Britain’s nuclear weapons system – as well as the legal and moral issues involved with nuclear weapons. He said: “It is about getting people all around the country active in opposing the spending of £100billion on more nuclear weapons, which could instead be spent on the NHS, good education and other services. We should be getting rid of nuclear weapons which make the country more dangerous, not safer.

“The thing that matters the most to me is when people go home after my talk and do something about it, like write to their local MP or newspaper.”

Mr Kent was chair and general secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) throughout the 1980s, and was formerly chair of War on Want.

He remains an active anti-nuclear and anti-war campaigner.

April 25, 2014 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, UK | Leave a comment

Lin Yi-hsiung, in Taiwan on hunger strike against nuclear power

Taiwan anti-nuclear activist starts hunger strike The West AustralianTaipei (AFP) 22 April 14 – Former Taiwanese opposition leader and anti-nuclear activist Lin Yi-hsiung Tuesday launched an indefinite hunger strike in protest at a nearly completed nuclear facility, while some of his supporters clashed with police.”It’s very meaningful to be doing something good for Taiwan — I feel very calm,” Lin told a crowd of reporters and supporters before he began the hunger strike.

He added he had been forced into the situation because the authorities had ignored public opinion on nuclear power. He said the majority of people in Taiwan were against a fourth nuclear power plant.

Lin-Yi-hsiung-Taiwan

Lin, who led the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) from 1998-2000, has devoted himself to battling the island’s nuclear power policy in the past two decades.

“If anything unfortunate should happen to me, I want my family and friends to know that (those in power) murdered me,” the 72-year-old said before entering a church in Taipei to begin his indefinite fasting.

Outside parliament, dozens of protesters briefly clashed with the police as they attempted to surround the building in a show of support for Lin. They unfurled a large yellow banner reading “Salute chairman Lin Yi-hsiung, stop building fourth nuclear (plant)”, and held placards calling for the project to be terminated.

“If Lin Yi-hsiung loses his life, it is the evil government who have caused it,” said the group’s leader Tsai Ting-kuei………

Like Japan, the island is regularly hit by earthquakes. In September 1999 a 7.6-magnitude quake killed around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island’s recent history. https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/world/a/22847888/taiwan-anti-nuclear-activist-starts-hunger-strike/

April 23, 2014 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, Taiwan | 3 Comments