Post date: May 19, 2013 11:33:42 AM
Hundreds of protesters rally in Taipei to protest against the government's nuclear policy.
TAIPEI, TAIWAN (MAY 19, 2013) (REUTERS) - Hundreds of protesters marched in Taipei on Sunday (May 19) to protest against the government's nuclear policy on the eve of President Ma Ying-jeou's inauguration anniversary since he took office for the second term.
Protesters demanded construction be stopped for Taiwan's fourth nuclear power plant, which is more than 90 percent complete.The protesters gathered at Taipei's Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall square from 3 p.m. local time (0700 GMT) and marched towards the Presidential Palace.
Kinmen resident Chang Rui-chi said she is unhappy that Taipower chose her homeland as the nuclear waste dumping site without prior consent.
"I want Taipower to promise never even to think about dumping nuclear waste in Kinmen again. Our granite rocks protected our safety during war time, why should we accept nuclear waste now," she said.
Seventeen-year-old student Luo Shi-cheng said he wants the government to find safer energy alternatives.
"First I want the government to scrap the fourth nuclear power plant and see if there are other alternative energy plans. Whether we use nuclear power or not, our electricity bill goes up anyway," he said.
The ruling Nationalist Party has submitted to the legislature a proposal for referendum on stopping the construction of the fourth nuclear power plant. A referendum could take place later this year.
Nuclear power accounts for 18.4 percent of electricity production.