Current location:politics >>
Discharge is against right to clean environment, activist says
politics57People have gathered around
IntroductionWorkers 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?"
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Universal Unfoldings news portal”。http://malta.downmusic.org/news-16c599962.html
Related articles
Four people killed in a house explosion in southwestern Missouri
politicsGOODHOPE, Mo. (AP) — Four people in rural Missouri died when an explosion that could be heard 10 mil ...
【politics】
Read moreThe main forum of Global Digital Economy Conference 2023 Lhasa Summit was held
politicsBeijing, July 6 (Youth.cn) -On July 4th, 2023, the Global Digital Economy Conference 2023 Lhasa Summ ...
【politics】
Read moreXi highlights upgrading of opening
politicsThis aerial photo taken on June 19, 2023 shows the newly built part of Xiamen North Railway Station ...
【politics】
Read more
Popular articles
Latest articles
Target to lower prices on basic goods in response to inflation
Top HK official vows to advance Article 23 legislation at full speed
South China theater festival to showcase outstanding classics
China brings opportunities rather than risks to world, expert says
Kristin Cavallari, 37, ignores critics of her age
Xi stresses enhancing guarantee ability of land element for high
LINKS
- Beijing universities open campuses for winter vacation tours
- Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025 releases promo video
- Liu refreshes men's 102kg world records at IWF World Cup
- Inside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's ultra
- China issues reform, development guidelines for youth football
- He's 31 points helps Shenzhen beat Tianjin in CBA
- Second high
- Former All Blacks head coach Ian Foster secures a new role in Japan
- Messi sidelined for Argentina friendlies with injury
- Indiana limits abortion data for privacy under near