Taiwan Church News 3208 Edition August 19 - August 25, 2013 Headline News March Around Taiwan Power Company, Let Government Hear What The People Sing! Reported by Lin Yi-ying As Ma administration decided to cost up the electricity price from October whatsoever, about 20 social movement groups raisedtheir protesting banners before Taiwan Power Company(TPC) on August 15, calling the public to march around TPC headquarter on September 21, the date commemorating the 14th anniversary of 921 Grand Earthquake, in order to ask TPC stop pricing up, stop nuclear 4th power plant and stop cheating the public. The participating social groups include, PCT Church and Society Committee, 908 Taiwan State, Referendum Alliance, Taiwan Professor Association, Taiwan Solidarity Union, and etc. Rev. Lin Wei-lien, program secretary of PCT Church and Society Committee, remarked that PCT had already proposed her anti-nuclear statement in 1992. Though it is a minority voice then, this call from wilderness has become the mainstream in Taiwan. Ma administration should listen humbly to what the people sing today, as over 70% of the public are against the nuclear power policy. Lin also expressed, in the nuclear disaster inflicted Sendai area of Japan, many PCT youth had engaged the re-building project, lead by Rev. Lee Shiau-chong, for over three years, yet many Japanese are still not able to restore their normal daily life; the inhabitants of Fukushima are even requested to stay indoor and reduce outdoor activities as possible as they can. People could see how terrible the nuclear disaster affects the daily life! Lin urged TPC and Ma administration open to multi-voices and the citizen participation in order to deliver an energy policy catering our common well-being. Tu Sin-jer, former Minster of Health Bureau, pointed out the generation reserve margin of TPC electricity, which was over 20%, was too much high and wasteful! Since the reduction each 1% of the generation serve margin can save 10 billions NTD, how come all Taiwanese people should pay extra cost to cover the price up due to TPC's budget loss? Tu remind Ma administration to learn from Japan and German governments, making Taiwan a country as a "No Nukes Family"! Wang Sien-ji, President of 908 Taiwan State, called the public to march around the TPC headquarter building at Taipei. "If only 10,000 people could stand out, it would be enough to surround TPC building over 10 circles of people", Wang urged the public to use facebook, line app, tweet messages or e-mail to invite friends or families to march around TPC on September 21st, boycuting the irrational cost up of electricity in October. Translated by Peter Wolfe |