A dozen anti-nuclear activists sat in front of the Legislative Yuan yesterday, urging the legislature to establish a referendum law for vital decisions such as the one to build the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (核四). Yesterday's demonstration, however, is being viewed as just a warm-up for another, much larger demonstration taking place this weekend.
"Under such a law, people will be entitled to ask the government to halt mistaken polices," said Kao Cheng-yan (高成炎). Kao is also one of the main organizers of the "224 Anti-nuclear Demonstration" (二二四反核大遊行) to be held on Saturday.
One of highlights of the demonstration will be the exchange of A-bian campaign caps for T-shirts (扁帽換T恤) with printed phrases, including "Referendum on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant" (核四公投) and "The People Decide" (人民作主).
The A-bian campaign cap was one of the most sought after souvenirs of fanatical followers of DPP candidate Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) during the presidential campaign last year.
The movement's logo, a wide-opened eye, stands for the people watching the behavior of government leaders. The sunflower on the side stands for the people's longing for alternative sources of energy, such as solar power.
"If people can get rid of their obsession with President Chen and other personality cults, then they can avoid being politically manipulated. That's the beginning of how people can decide their future," said Shih Shin-min (施信民), chairman of Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (TEPU).
Two other topics mentioned on the group's demonstration permit include "Say sorry, president!" (總統認錯) and "Step down, premier!" (撤換閣揆).
The DPP has kept a close eye on the demonstration, afraid that it may turn into a mass movement against Chen. Local DPP chapters have mobilized supporters to join the demonstration, under the guise of supporting the referendum law, and presumably to blunt the other elements of the demonstration arrayed against the performance of the DPP government.
Activists, however, said that the DPP had no reason to fear the demonstrations.
"The DPP, a ruling party, needs to learn how to take advice from people," said TEPU head Shih.
To maintain their right to speak independently, DPP supporters will be placed in the last group of demonstrators. Demonstrators will be led by anti-nuclear groups, which will walk at the beginning of the line.
Because of the DPP's involvement in the demonstration, some residents of Kungliao township (貢寮), where the controversial plant is located, said yesterday that they would boycott the protest. The shock and disappointment with the decision to go ahead with the nuclear plant's construction was more than they could bear, they said.
As a warm up for the demonstration, a two-week exhibition of photographs of the aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster will be unveiled today at the Eslite (誠品) bookstore in Taipei.
More than 40 pieces by Hirokawa Ryuichi (廣河隆一), a Japanese photographer who spent years recording the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, will remind people of the dangers of nuclear power.
Seventeen paintings by Chernobyl victims will also be presented at the exhibition.
"As opposition parties are happy with the resumption of the construction of the plant, we have to remind them of the fact that at least 458 villages were entirely destroyed after the Chernobyl accident," Pan Han-chiang (潘翰疆) of TEPU said.
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