The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday urged President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to remove Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) from office over comments on the Japanese government’s plan to release processed wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant into the ocean.
The discharge is to begin in two years, Tokyo said on Tuesday last week.
“From my personal standpoint, protesting Japan’s release of wastewater from the nuclear power plant is a very simple and natural thing,” Hsieh wrote on Facebook on the day after the
announcement. “However, from the standpoint of representing Taiwan, I have to consider that the wastewater from Taiwan’s three nuclear power plants is also discharged into the sea.”
At a news conference in Taipei yesterday, KMT Culture and Communications Committee director-general Alicia Wang (王育敏) said that the water discharge from Taiwan’s plants and that from the wrecked plant in Japan is different, citing Atomic Energy Council Minister Hsieh Shou-shing (謝曉星).
Wang also cited Taiwan Power Co as saying on Tuesday that the radioactive contamination of the water from the Fukushima plant was much higher.
In Taiwan, the release of water is part of normal operations, while in Japan, it is in reaction to an incident, she said.
Frank Hsieh’s statement was to “drag Taiwan down,” Wang said, adding that Tsai should replace him.
Frank Hsieh’s salary is paid by Taiwanese taxpayers, but he is defending Tokyo’s decision, KMT Institute of Revolutionary Practice director Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) said, calling the envoy’s statement “nonsense.”
Tsai should summon Frank Hsieh for questioning by lawmakers, he said, adding that the National Police Agency (NPA) should investigate him for allegedly spreading false information.
Frank Hsieh should take political responsibility for his comments, Lo said.
The KMT on Wednesday filed a complaint over the envoy’s statement with the NPA, committee deputy director-general Huang Tzu-che (黃子哲) said.
Under Article 63 of the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法), people can be detained for less than three days or fined less than NT$30,000 for “spreading rumors in a way that is sufficient to undermine public order and peace,” Huang said.
Frank Hsieh should apologize, remove his Facebook post and step down from his role, Huang said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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