ROC President Ma Ying-jeou said March 9 that the government and local anti-nuclear groups are on the same page when it comes to ensuring the safety of Taiwan’s atomic power facilities.
“We will not be shifted on our ironclad stance of no nuclear safety, no nuclear power,” Ma said. “It is the government’s responsibility to guarantee a healthy and safe environment in Taiwan for generations to come.”
The president made the remarks after tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Taipei and other major cities across the nation earlier in the day calling for work to stop on the Lungmen nuclear power plant in New Taipei City.
Ma said he listens carefully to wide-ranging opinions from the public on this critical issue, and that the government is committed to ensuring nuclear safety, gradually reducing the use of atomic energy, building a green and low-carbon environment, and establishing a nuclear-free homeland. At the same time, these goals must be achieved without electricity rationing, unreasonable price rises and missing reduction targets on carbon dioxide emissions, he added.
Protestors must understand that it is nigh on impossible to build a nuclear-free homeland overnight, Ma said, justifying the government’s pragmatic approach of gradually phasing out nuclear power and increasing the use of alternative energy sources.
The president also said he is willing to sit down with anti-nuclear groups and listen to their suggestions for an alternative to the immediate abandonment of nuclear power.
“As a mature democratic society, the exchange of views in a rational manner on whether to support or oppose suspending work on Lungmen can help formulate public policy,” Ma said. “The government will stand with the people, communicate sincerely and effectively resolve an issue that has troubled Taiwan for more than two decades through a proposed referendum.”
Echoing Ma’s remarks, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said he fully respects demands of protesters and looks forward to rational debate on atomic station safety.
In addition to a bipartisan legislative agreement suspending budget increases for Lungmen and not installing nuclear fuel rods pre-referendum, Jiang said the Cabinet is committed to applying the highest standards and inviting international experts to conduct comprehensive inspections before allowing the project to go forward.
This undertaking is part of government efforts to ensure Taiwan’s three existing nuclear plants—Chinshan and Kuosheng in New Taipei City, and Maanshan in Pingtung County— incorporate adequate safety controls and minimize the chances of falling prey to a Fukushima-style disaster, he said.
The premier reaffirmed that Lungmen’s fate will not affect the government’s timetable for decommissioning Chinshan, Kuosheng and Maanshan by 2019, 2023 and 2025, respectively. (JSM)
Write to Rachel Chan at ccchan@mofa.gov.tw