"Japan's nuclear contaminated water discharge into the sea will bring unpredictable risks" (International perspective) Protest | Duration | Perspective
On July 5th, Japanese people held a protest rally in front of the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Company, holding up banners and slogans such as "Do not discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea", expressing strong opposition to the plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea.
Photo taken by our reporter Yue Linwei
After the International Atomic Energy Agency recently released the comprehensive assessment report on the disposal of nuclear contaminated water in Fukushima, Japan's domestic and international opposition to the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea has continued to rise. All parties once again urge Japan to respond to the legitimate concerns of the international community with a responsible attitude towards the marine environment and human life and health, stop forcefully promoting plans to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea, and effectively dispose of nuclear contaminated water in a scientific, safe, transparent, and negotiated manner.
"The Japanese government should not use the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency as a 'shield'."
On July 7th, multiple organizations and fishing groups in Japan once again submitted approximately 33000 public signatures opposing the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea to the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Adding to the signatures submitted twice before, the event has submitted a total of over 254000 opposing signatures to the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company.
The signed document states that the contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant comes from the nuclear reactor where the accident occurred, which is different from the wastewater generated by ordinary nuclear power plants. Once discharged into the sea, efforts to rebuild after the East Japan earthquake will be in vain. The document requires the disposal of nuclear contaminated water through other methods that are understood by the public.
According to the Ryukyu Shimbun, eight civic groups including the Okinawa Environment Alliance and the Okinawa Peace Citizen Liaison Association held a press conference on the 6th and signed a statement opposing the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea. The representative of the citizen team stated that discharging nuclear contaminated water will damage the natural environment and cause the marine environment to never return to its former state. The Ryukyu News commented that the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge plan completely disregards public opinion. Forcibly discharging nuclear contaminated water is a betrayal and abandonment of those who are striving to restore their homes in Fukushima as soon as possible, and a significant violation of human rights.
On the evening of the 5th, nearly a hundred Japanese people held a protest rally in front of the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Company. They held up banners and slogans such as "Do not discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea", shouted slogans such as "Protect the sea", "Protect the future", and "Oppose discharge into the sea", expressing their firm opposition to the plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea. The organizer of the event, the citizen group "Dandelion House," co represented by Shin Yoshida, told our reporter that the International Atomic Energy Agency stated that its report was not a "recommendation" or "endorsement" of Japan's decision to discharge water into the sea. However, the Japanese government attempted to use this report to accelerate the discharge of nuclear contaminated water, which is unacceptable.
Another co representative of "Dandelion House", Hisahiro Yamazaki, pointed out that due to their own economic interests, the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company have completely disregarded other feasible ways of disposing of nuclear contaminated water and are determined to promote the sea discharge plan. In the absence of clear information on the duration and total amount of emissions, the discharge of Japanese nuclear contaminated water into the sea will bring unpredictable risks.
Tokyo resident Yuko Onai, who attended the rally, told reporters that no matter how much the Japanese government beautifies and whitewashes up nuclear contaminated water, it is ultimately unsafe. The long-term impact of nuclear contaminated water on the environment, organisms, and human health is currently unpredictable, and the conclusion on the safety of nuclear contaminated water discharge into the sea cannot be drawn solely from the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Kuniko Onei stated that once nuclear contaminated water is discharged into the sea, it will bring a "serious crime" pollution risk to Japan itself and neighboring countries. The Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company should immediately stop the plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea, continue to negotiate with relevant countries and stakeholders, and find better ways to deal with it.
On the 6th, Tokyo News published an editorial stating that the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency should not be used as a "permit" to initiate sea discharge. The International Atomic Energy Agency stated that the report is not a "recommendation" or "endorsement" of Japan's decision to discharge into the sea, indicating the Agency's reservations about its plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea. The Fukushima nuclear contaminated water source is due to a serious nuclear accident, and the impact of the discharge is currently inconclusive. The article emphasizes that "the Japanese government should not use the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency as a 'shield' to accelerate the implementation of the sea discharge plan."
"We should seek unanimous agreement from the international community on a nuclear contaminated water treatment plan"
In recent days, opposition parties and multiple civic groups in South Korea have held rallies to express dissatisfaction with the International Atomic Energy Agency's comprehensive assessment report on the disposal of nuclear contaminated water in Fukushima, Japan. They have also protested against Japan's insistence on promoting a plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea, despite concerns from neighboring countries and the international community.
On the 8th, South Korea held its fourth large-scale rally since May in the square in front of the Korean History Museum to prevent Japan's radioactive contaminated water from being discharged into the sea. The organizers issued a statement stating that the evaluation report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency did not fully verify the legitimacy and alternative solutions for the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea, nor did it evaluate the deficiencies and other issues of the "multi nuclide processing system" of the plan. The statement condemns the moral deficiency of the Japanese government and demands that it develop safety disposal plans for storing nuclear contaminated water on land. Kim Chun yee, Secretary General of the South Korean Environmental Movement Alliance, who participated in the rally, stated that the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea not only violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, but also violates relevant provisions of the London Convention on Dumping.
The Joint Democratic Party, the largest opposition party in South Korea, held a press conference on the 6th to condemn Japan's plan to discharge contaminated water into the ocean, stating that this action will pose a threat to the security and national interests of South Korean citizens. The countermeasures committee emphasized that "discharging nuclear contaminated water into the ocean would pose a serious threat to global maritime security, and this practice has no precedent. Japan's actions violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the relevant provisions of the London Convention on the Disposal of Waste that prohibit the discharge of radioactive waste into the ocean." The committee stated that a panel of experts organized by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has proposed five treatment options, and that discharging nuclear contaminated water into the ocean is not the only method of treatment. "Japan should seek a nuclear contaminated water treatment plan that is unanimously agreed upon by the international community."
A Jeju citizen group composed of fishing workers also held a protest on the 6th. Protesters hung banners on fishing boats, saying "The whole nation is against it" and "Protecting the Jeju Ocean". Protesters say that Jeju Island is surrounded by the sea on all sides, and Japan's plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea will have a blow to the local fishing and tourism industry, posing a threat to the lives of people who rely on the sea for food, and Japan's actions are tantamount to a "terrorist act".
"Bringing great risks and hazards to the global marine environment, fisheries, tourism, and other industries"
Former Prime Minister Peter O'Neill of Papua New Guinea, a Pacific island country, stated on the 5th that the International Atomic Energy Agency's comprehensive assessment report on the disposal of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water in Japan cannot convince the people of Papua New Guinea. The country will continue to raise questions to the United Nations and other relevant international organizations, demanding that they respond to the concerns of the people in the Pacific region.
Joseph Lelang, leader of the opposition party in Papua New Guinea's parliament, firmly refuses to accept the International Atomic Energy Agency's assessment report and opposes Japan's push for a plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea. Lelang pointed out that Japan's discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea will endanger marine life, fisheries, and the health of island people, and must be firmly opposed. Harry Fahal, a fisherman from Papua New Guinea's New Ireland province, said that everyone in the region relies on the ocean, and many people are concerned about Japan's plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the ocean. "Japan cannot take risks with the marine environment and people who rely on it for their livelihoods.".
Joseph Villam, Director of the Asia Research Institute for Pacific Island Countries in Jinan, told our reporter that fisheries are crucial for Pacific island countries with relatively underdeveloped economies, and some countries also rely on desalination for their drinking water. The treatment of nuclear contaminated water cannot be thorough and will still contain radioactive substances that are technically difficult to separate from the water.
Indonesian congressman Luluk Nur Hamida, who is responsible for environmental protection legislation, said, "Japan's push to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea against the will of the international community will bring great risks and hazards to the global marine environment, fisheries, tourism, and other industries."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin recently stated that Japan has not fully consulted with the international community, especially stakeholders. The Japanese government unilaterally announced in April 2021 that it would discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea, and in July 2022, despite strong opposition from the international community, especially neighboring countries and other stakeholders, it officially approved the discharge plan and repeatedly emphasized that it would not be postponed. All of these fully reflect Japan's selfishness and arrogance. Although Japan is under domestic and international pressure to request the International Atomic Energy Agency to conduct a review and evaluation, the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea is a predetermined result for Japan, and inviting the agency to evaluate is just a facade. Wang Wenbin said, "China once again urges Japan to stop forcefully promoting plans to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea with a responsible attitude towards the marine environment and human health, and not to impose unpredictable risks on the international community."
People's Daily
