At Beginning

March 3 1985, technicians found the wall of a building gave strong indications of radioactive contamination when they were sent to clarify the installment of an x-ray machine at a dental office in Minsheng Villa Apartment Complex, Taipei. The Atomic En ergy Council (AEC) got to know the truth but did nothing to warn the residents. The AEC had concealed the truth from the public for 7 years. On August 22 1992, the shocking fact was disclosed by Peng, Kuo-Wei, the report of Liberty Times after he received an anonymous message. According to the report, a 200 micro sievert/per hour heavily radioactively contaminated villa was found in Taipei. Hsin Lung Steel Company which has already gone out of business is believed to have provided dangerously irradiated rebar to building contractors throughout northern Taiwan between 1982 and 1984.

Minsheng Villa Apartment Complex, first radioactively contaminated house was found in Taipei. Today, the first floor of the building was rented by estate company.

Search for the Source

The AEC and Radiation Safety and Protection Association Taiwan (RSPAT) agree that at least 80 percent of the irradiated rebar which was used in at least 178 buildings was produced by the Hsin Lung Steel Co. of C hungli. RSPAT believes that nation owned Taipower should be responsible for Taiwan's irradiated buildings. The radiation analysis spectrum and the copies of sales receipts of scrap metal sales from Taipower to Hsin Lung Steel Co., dated within the time frame of the irradiated rebar smelting, indicate the Taipower is the culprit. However, the AEC blames the military for losing pure Cobalt 60 resources (in 1970s) which were suspected to be the source of the thousands of steel rebars Hsin Lung Steel melted down. The military has denied this charge.

Escalation

The horrors discovered by A E C patrol cars on their anxious drives around northern Taiwan have not been limited to buildings. Eight radioactive roads have been discovered in Taoyuan Country, prompting county of ficials earlier this year to demolish the roads, to extract the contaminants. AEC assurances that the irradiated buildings were a strictly northern Taiwan phenomenon were also squashed by subsequent discoveries in Taichung and particularly dismaying find in Changhwa kindergarten which was severely contaminated. Today, 178 buildings and 1,555 apartments have been found with Cobalt-60 contamination. Yet, 2/3 of 20,000 tons radioactively contaminated steel bars produced during 1982-1984 are still missing. Due to the reason of limited social resources and not all apartments units in the irradiated buildings radioactively contaminated, the AEC refuses to demolish the irradiated buildings and only promised to buy back the seriously irradiated apartments with ap proximately 70 percent of the market value. For less serious contamination, the AEC provides compensation of NT 100,000 (less than $3,000) for radiation shielding. As a result, many people who cannot afford the rent or buying another house still live in irradiated apartments. Worse, some of the irradiated building are allowed to sell in the market. Fourteen years after the discovery of Taiwan's first irradiated structure, serious questions remain about the origins of the disaster, treatment of the victims , and the continuing numbers of new buildings affixed with the "radiation hazard" symbol.

*The radioactive contamination has been found in many places.

Nightmare of Victims

" There have been several cases in which husbands have divorced their wives after learning they were exposed to radiation. Parents worry that their children (radiation-exposed) may have problems finding marriage partners."

" I was very shocked when I heard there was radiation in my building. I can't realize what happened..."

" I was awake in the midnight. I looked at my wife and children and wanted to tell them that they may get cancer in the future. I thought of my children. If their chromosome had been damaged, how could I face my ancestors?"

" It's a life-time regret for we parents to put children in this kind of environment (with radioactive contamination)."

" When the AEC came to my house second time for further detection, they told us nothing to be nervous and we don't need to move out so fast. I told them, we are not moving, but we are FLEEING."

My children were called radioactive children in the school."

*Left : The children suffer radiation-related diseases

*Right : The victim still lives in the irradiated building. The bride died of cancer leaving only her wedding picture on the wall.

Today, the population of radioactively contaminated victims is over than 10,000 people. However, the AEC would provide some victims with only one free annual physical examination but no cure. Many victims have been suffering a number of radiation-relat ed diseases including thyroid problems, chromosome damage, impaired immune effects, impaired growth, physical defects, birth defects, and congenital heart problems. Six children already died due to cancers. When the AEC sent them to the hospital, the doctors told the victims that you are OK and GO HOME without telling them the truth of abnormal physical test results. The AEC claimed that little evidence shows that there are links between radiation exposure and cancer and other health problems.

Local Efforts and CALL for INTERNATIONAL ACTION

The local groups such as the Radiation Safety and Protection Association Taiwan and the Radiation Victims' Association Taiwan has been working for 6 years to fight against the AEC's tardiness and irresponsibility, and ask for the solutions. The RSPAT and the RVAT have been helping radioactive victims to solve the problems of their irradiated property including demolishing, radiation shielding, and technical advice. With assistants from the doctors of Medical Pro fessional Alliance in Taiwan, they provide the victims with physical examination, physical and psychological cure. It is impossible to stop this tragedy without the concerns and supports from the international society, to pressure the government to work for solutions and assist us in the resolution of these health-devastating problems as quickly as practicable. TEAN works along the side of the RSPAT, the RVAT, and other local groups to call for international support for following actions:

1. To prevent further health damages, the AEC should take actions to move out the residents who are still in the irradiated buildings. The AEC should arrange the housing issues and deal with compensation after the victims are moved out.

2. To assist those who are suffering so called RADIATION DESEASE, we need your support and advice of the advanced medical treatment , the sufficient medical helth care equipment and related technical assistance.

3. To stop the tragedy permanently, ask your governments stop the construction of nuclear power plants and weapons, stop exporting nuclear technologies, and stop promoting the business in the developing countries.