President Chen meets activists ahead of protest

Representatives of an anti-nuclear alliance urged President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday to stand firm in the fight to make Taiwan a nuclear-free country.

"To realize the ideal of a nuclear-free country takes a lot of time, continued effort and cooperation," representatives said in a press release.

Yesterday's meeting was the first time anti-nuclear advocates had met with a sitting president; the 14 alliance members who met with Chen and represent 146 environmental groups dubbed the meeting a watershed event for Taiwan's anti-nuclear movement.

Taiwan's first anti-nuclear demonstration took place in 1987 when hundreds of people sat in front of the Taipower building to protest plans to build the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant. The following year the first anti-nuclear demonstration march was held.

Chen was impressed by the significance of the meeting as well, said Shih Ying (史英), co-founder of the Humanistic Education Foundation(人本教育基金會).

"I don't care about fame and position. All I want is to continue to pursue the ideal of a nuclear-free Taiwan," Shih quoted Chen as saying during the meeting.

Chen also said that while most ruling parties in the world are supporters of nuclear energy, and opposition parties and the public have an anti-nuclear stance, Taiwan is an exception.

"We should thank opposition parties for their plan to recall the president. This will help more people understand and be concerned about nuclear issues," Shih quoted Chen as saying.

Following the Executive Yuan's announcement last month to scrap the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, KMT Legislator Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) proposed recalling the president and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), sparking a political crisis for Chen and the ruling party.

"We support Chen's anti-nuclear stance," said Sue Wang (王時思), executive-general of the Judicial Reform Foundation (民間司法改革基金會).

The alliance plans to hold a protest march in Taipei on Nov. 12, which is expected to draw 50,000 to 100,000 supporters.

Chen wished the demonstration success, representatives said.

In addition to meeting with Chen, representatives said they also plan to meet with the heads of the three main opposition parties before the protest. So far the opposition has expressed little interest in meeting with the groups.

The demonstration will begin at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall on Sunday at 2pm. and will include environmentalists and sustainable energy advocates from around the world, said Taiwan Green Party representative Kao Cheng-yan (高成炎).

Alliance representatives said that the march will be led by baby carriages and each participant will carry a sunflower, symbolizing a smiling face as well as solar energy.