Taiwan police clear nuke plant demo
Print Edition
TAIWAN police yesterday used water cannon to dislodge hundreds of demonstrators blocking a main road in Taipei to demand the scrapping of a controversial nuclear power plant.
An estimated 28,500 anti-nuclear demonstrators blockaded one of Taipei’s busiest streets on Sunday, forcing the ruling Kuomintang party to halt construction work at the nearly completed plant.
The concession prompted many demonstrators to leave but hundreds remained, leading police to use water cannon to disperse them yesterday morning.
Claiming they were attacked, club-waving riot police chased some protesters. Police also carried away some sit-in demonstrators lying on the ground.
More than 40 people were slightly injured in the clashes, the government said.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin hinted at tough measures at a press conference on Sunday, when he denounced the sit-in for disrupting the lives of ordinary people.
“The demonstrators should protest against the government rather than Taipei citizens. I may take any measures needed to ensure traffic can return to normal on Monday,” Hau said.
The new power station 40 kilometers from Taipei would be the island’s fourth nuclear plant. Opponents say it would be unsafe in an earthquake-prone island.
The plant has two reactors, one of which is 98 percent completed. A Kuomintang spokesman said on 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 organizers said they would keep watching to see if the government fulfils its promises.
Taiwan’s three existing nuclear power plants supply about 20 percent of the nation’s electricity.
The fourth plant is almost complete and was originally due to come online in 2015, according to its operator the Taiwan Power Co (Taipower).
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
