Taiwan protesters decry DPP's stance on Japanese imports amid Fukushima water concerns

A group of residents in Taiwan staged a protest at the island's "Executive Yuan" on Wednesday, urging the Democratic Progressive Party authorities to impose a ban on Japanese food product imports in response to Japan's release of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant.

The demonstrators, which included a young mother holding a baby, displayed banners and chanted slogans advocating for food safety measures and the prohibition of seafood and aquatic products imported from Japan.

Despite strong opposition from multiple countries, the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company proceeded with the ocean release of the water last month, raising concerns about food safety.

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, dozens of Taiwan political parties and groups criticized the DPP authorities for their failure to protest against these actions and for their stance of supporting Japan and importing Japanese products. They accused the DPP, which positions itself as anti-nuclear, of ignoring public concerns and opposition while aligning with the Japanese government's actions.

Reports indicate that DPP authorities downplayed concerns about the water's impact around Taiwan. Frank Hsieh, the island's "representative" to Japan, made remarks on his social media account suggesting that trace amounts of radioactive elements could be beneficial to health, sparking outrage among Taiwan netizens.

Wu Jung-yuan, chairman of Taiwan's pro-reunification Labor Party, condemned the DPP authorities for their apparent subservience to Japan and betrayal of the Taiwan people.

Chi Chia-lin, leader of the Reunification Alliance Party in Taiwan, questioned why Japan did not keep the water within its own territory instead of releasing it into the ocean, thereby imposing potential consequences on the entire world. He labeled the situation a global disaster.

A poll conducted by Yahoo Kimo News on Aug 22 revealed that 78.4 percent of respondents in Taiwan expressed concerns about the impact of the released water on the ocean.

The protesters criticized the DPP administration for prioritizing political interests over public health and the right to survival, urging the people of Taiwan to unite for the sake of their well-being.