Your current location:HOME >opinions >Discharge is against right to clean environment, activist says 正文
TIME:2024-05-21 06:58:35 Source: Internet compilationEdit:opinions
Workers prepare for an auction at Numanouchi fish port in Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan, on Thursday. KENT
Workers prepare for an auction at Numanouchi fish port in Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan, on Thursday. KENTARO TAKAHASHI/GETTY IMAGES
Philippine environmentalists, consumer and fishery groups have condemned the Japanese government's decision to dump over 1 million metric tons of nuclear-contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean, saying that this violates human rights and will harm human health and environment in the long term.
At a hybrid forum organized and moderated by Wilson Lee Flores, a Filipino business leader and newspaper columnist on Thursday, participants have called on the Philippine government to take a stand on Japan's move and have expressed solidarity with other countries, including China, South Korea and Pacific Island countries, which will also suffer from a contaminated ocean that everyone shares.
Ronnel Arambulo, national spokesperson for the Federation of Small Fisherfolk Organizations in the Philippines, said his group will be protesting at the Japanese embassy on Saturday to pressure the government to stop the water discharge. The discharge will poison the ocean, destroy marine resources and take away the livelihoods of thousands of small-scale fisherfolk, he added.
On Thursday, Tokyo Electric Power Company, operator of the crippled Fukushima plant, started discharging the first batch of nuclear-contaminated water, despite concerns from Japanese fishermen and the international community.
Cecilia Guidote Alvarez, executive director of Earthsavers, said protesting against TEPCO's move is a matter of human rights.
Discharging toxic water into the ocean is against one's right to a clean, healthy, sustainable and peaceful environment. "Water is life," she said.
She called for continuous "diversified action" against the move, adding that this toxic discharge will pollute the ocean over a long time and endanger future generations.
Emily Fajardo, council member of the Nuclear-Free Bataan Movement, said the group is "concerned with (the Philippine) government's continuing silence and indifference on this critical issue".
She also urged the global community to continue to resist the Japanese government's outright disregard of the rights of people in the Pacific Ocean to be protected from potential harm and dangers by pushing through with the toxic water dumping.
"How long will it take to contaminate the other bodies of water connected to the Pacific Ocean by this (water) dumping? Do they have a plan to mitigate that, in case the contamination spreads out?" Fajardo said.
Raymond Palatino, secretary-general of the New Patriotic Alliance, said Japan is guilty of "nuclear colonialism".
He also questioned why Japan resorted to dumping contaminated water instead of exhausting other alternatives.
"If the wastewater is really safe, why are they releasing it to the ocean?" Palatino said. "Why can't they recycle it?"
US overdose deaths dropped in 2023, the first time since 20182024-05-21 06:50
China, France pledge closer ties2024-05-21 06:36
Hong Kong defends new security law2024-05-21 06:33
Beijing slams Washington on illegal claims of demarcation of seabed2024-05-21 06:24
Kevin Pillar gets 1,000th career hit in Angels' win at Texas2024-05-21 06:20
Leaders call for deeper Sino2024-05-21 05:09
China Coast Guard responds to trespassing of illegal Philippine ships2024-05-21 05:01
French health foundation's cooperation commended2024-05-21 04:25
French sports minister calls for sanctions after Monaco player tapes over anti2024-05-21 04:24
China firmly opposes its citizens being harassed when visiting the U.S.: spokesperson2024-05-21 04:18
Revealed: Brit tourist, 19, subjected to sex attack in Majorca 'was gang2024-05-21 06:46
Nations to enhance BRI ties2024-05-21 06:41
China emphasises importance in relations with the UK2024-05-21 06:40
'143 people still missing' after Moscow attack2024-05-21 06:19
‘The Blue Angels,’ filmed for IMAX, puts viewers in the ‘box’ with the elite flying squad2024-05-21 06:06
Chinese Embassy strongly condemns UK's baseless cyberattack accusations2024-05-21 05:38
Foreign experts hail China's democracy path2024-05-21 04:44
UN Security Council adopts first cease2024-05-21 04:37
Strictly star Giovanni Pernice's former partner Rose Ayling2024-05-21 04:15
Beijing urges Manila to act with caution2024-05-21 04:13