Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Demonstrators say ‘no’ to nuclear

Taipei Times

Thousands of people mobilized by several civic groups took to the streets in Taipei yesterday to demonstrate against nuclear energy and demand an immediate halt to construction at the nation’s Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.

To shouts of: “I love Taiwan, I don’t want nuclear disaster,” and “I want my children, I don’t want nuclear energy,” the protesters were giving voice to a rising number of people who are uncertain about the safety of nuclear energy amid a nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan, which encountered a series of radiation leaks following a powerful earthquake and tsunami on March 11.

Situation at Japan power plant stabilizes ‘somewhat’

Taipei Times

One of six tsunami-crippled nuclear reactors appeared to stabilize yesterday as Japan discovered the first food contaminated by radiation and raced to restore power to the stricken power plant to prevent a greater catastrophe.

Engineers reported some rare success after fire trucks sprayed water for about three hours on reactor No. 3, widely considered the most dangerous at the ravaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex because of its use of highly toxic plutonium.

“The situation there is stabilizing somewhat,” Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told a news conference.

Denying Taiwanese sovereignty

Liberty Times Editorial

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) often says the Republic of China (ROC) is a sovereign state, and that its sovereignty extends to all China. When dealing with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), however, he does not require that it recognize the ROC as such. This nonsense has made Taiwan a laughing stock to China’s 1.4 billion people.

Hearing Ma’s claims, we want to ask him what the ROC really is. It is not a UN member, nor is it recognized by any major country. Ma claims that the territory of the PRC — a UN member — falls within the ROC’s borders. If we follow this ridiculous claim, the world’s textbooks on international law would all have to be rewritten.

It’s time to expect the unexpected

Taipei Times Editorial

A year that began with uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, tsunami-like flooding in Australia and massive mudslides in Brazil, shows no signs of easing up. From Christchurch’s pulverizing earthquake to Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi’s scorched-earth policy and the escalating disaster in Japan, the world is being rocked on a daily basis. Old certainties can no longer be relied upon.

What is clear is that new standards are now required — in disaster preparedness, in damage-proofing nuclear power stations, in accountability both on the part of government and private industry and in the public’s expectations of themselves. While it is not possible to guarantee against every possibility, much more can be done and the last thing that is needed is bland reassurance from governments, whether in Japan, Taiwan, the US, Egypt, China or elsewhere.

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