Anti-nuclear energy groups redouble protest efforts as budget for rebuilding nuclear plant is passed

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

3094 Edition

Headline News

June 13-19, 2011

Anti-nuclear energy groups redouble protest efforts as budget for rebuilding 
nuclear plant is passed    

Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong and Lin Yi-ying.

Translated by Lydia Ma

On June 11th, 2011, three months to the day after the nuclear disaster in 
Fukushima, Japan, various organizations across Taiwan led by Taiwan 
Environmental Protection Union organized an anti-nuclear energy rally near 
various train stations across Taiwan. They demanded the Ma administration 
increase its pace in making Taiwan a nuclear-free country.

At precisely 13:46, on June 11, the exact time when the nuclear disaster in 
Fukushima came to light weeks ago, a group of demonstrators gathered outside of 
Taipei Train Station. They began their rally with prayer, led by Rev. William 
J.K. Lo, former General Secretary of the PCT.

Deaf to the concerns of many Taiwanese and the opposition party’s call to halt 
construction of the unfinished Nuclear Power Plant No.4, the Ma administration, 
whose party commands the majority of seats in the Legislative Yuan, passed this 
year’s national budget bill on June 13th, 2011, with a significant budget 
allocation for building Nuclear Power Plant No.4.

Lo mentioned in his brief prayer that the nuclear accident in Fukushima had 
awakened people to the consequences of their greed and he asked God to remind 
Taiwanese that they’d have nowhere to seek refuge in case of a national nuclear 
accident. He also expressed his gratefulness for the number of people and 
organizations made a stand against greed and sought the interests of Taiwanese 
and the future of Taiwan. He believed Taiwan would do well to explore solar 
energy and wind energy because it’s endowed with climate conditions suitable 
for the development of these two sources of energy.

With that in mind, he begged God to change the mind of the Ma administration so 
that it’d truly care about the people’s best interests instead of only setting 
sights on boosting trade and economy.                           

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