民進黨前主席絕食抗議臺灣新建核電廠

A high-profile Taiwanese anti-nuclear activist began a hunger strike on Tuesday to protest construction of the island's fourth nuclear power plant, in what could become another challenge for the already beleaguered President Ma Ying-jeou.

Presidential Office of Republic of China臺灣總統馬英九寫給林義雄的字條。週二臺灣一位知名反核運動人士展開絕食以抗議島內修建第四核電廠，這或使已陷入困境的總統馬英九面臨又一挑戰。

Lin Yi-xiong, the former chairman of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party and a longtime anti-nuclear activist, vowed to sustain on only water until the government suspends construction of the northern Taipei plant.

素來反對核能的民進黨前主席林義雄誓言只喝水來維繫生命，直至政府暫停在臺北北部修建核電廠。

Less than 24 hours after Mr. Lin began his strike, both Mr. Ma and Premier Jiang Yi-hua tried to visit him, only to be turned away. Hunger strikes aren't uncommon in the oft-fractious island, but Mr. Lin is the first striker who has received personal attention from the president and the cabinet leader.

在他展開絕食不到24小時，馬英九和行政院長江宜樺便試圖前去探視，但遭到回絕。絕食抗議在臺灣並不罕見。但林義雄作爲抗議者受到總統和行政院長的特別關注則尚屬首次。

With virtually no natural resources of its own, Taiwan imports more than 95% of its energy, with much of it coming from Australia, the Middle East and Africa. The government argues that with the island's three existing nuclear plants going offline in phases by 2025, a fourth plant is necessary to ensure energy security. Last year, the government agreed to hold a national referendum to decide the plant's fate, but the timing of the vote hasn't yet been decided and meanwhile construction is continuing.

臺灣本地能源資源極度匱乏，超過95%的能源依靠進口，其中大多來自澳大利亞、中東和非洲。政府稱臺灣現有的三個核電廠將在2025年完成除役，因而有必要修建第四核電廠以確保能源安全。去年政府同意舉行全民公投以決定核電廠的命運，但投票時間尚未敲定，而與此同時核電廠的施工仍在繼續。

Nuclear energy is a contentious issue that has divided Taiwan for more than two decades. Opponents, spurred by the 2013 Fukushima nuclear disaster, say the new plant is riddled with safety problems and that the earthquake-prone island should instead focus on developing alternative forms of energy. The government maintains that the plant is safe.

20多年來臺灣社會對核能問題一直爭議不休。在2013年日本福島核電站發生泄漏事故的影響下，反核人士稱新核電廠存在安全隱患，而地震多發的臺灣應當注重發展可替代能源。臺灣政府堅稱核電廠是安全的。

Shortly before he began his protest, Mr. Lin told the press he was 'sorry my 20 years of efforts have failed to move those in power.'

林義雄在禁食不久前對報社記者說：“我非常慚愧我努力了20年，沒有感動我們的掌權者。”

Analysts say that given his clout and the public's already-ballooning opposition to nuclear power, Mr. Ma's ruling Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, would face more arduous battles ahead of local elections later this year if Mr. Lin dies as a result of his hunger strike.

分析師稱，考慮到林義雄的影響力以及公衆日益反對核電的態度，如果林義雄因爲絕食抗議而死亡，那麼在今年晚些時候臺灣舉行的地方選舉之前，馬英九所在的國民黨將面臨更加艱難的選戰。

Mr. Ma--whose approval rating is currently 14%, according to a poll by Taiwan Indicator Survey Research--relied on his accommodative China policies to win re-election in 2012. But these same policies have also become his Achilles heels recently, with more people questioning whether the warmer trade ties with China have benefited Taiwan's average workers.

據臺灣指標調查研究公司(Taiwan Indicators Survey Research)的民調顯示，馬英九當前的支持率爲14%。2012年馬英九憑藉他開放的中國大陸政策贏得連任。但如今這些政策也成爲他的軟肋，越來越多的人質疑兩岸加強貿易合作到底有沒有讓臺灣普通工人受益。

In mid-March, the growing doubts over closer ties with China ignited Taiwan's longest-running student protest, which left the legislature paralyzed for 24-days. Mr. Lin was an outspoken supporter for the movement.

3月中旬，臺灣人對加強兩岸經貿合作的質疑引發了臺灣持續時間最長的學生抗議活動，導致臺灣立法機構被佔24天。林義雄是這場學生運動的強烈支持者。

At 73, Mr. Lin is regarded across party lines as one of the most influential political figures in Taiwan since the 1970s. As a dissident, he was jailed multiple times during the island's martial law era (1949-87).

現年73歲的林義雄被公認爲上世紀70年代以來臺灣最有影響力的政治人物之一。作爲一名持不同政見的人士，他曾在臺灣戒嚴時期(1949-1987)多次被判入獄。

In 1980, while Mr. Lin was imprisoned as a dissident, his mother and his seven-year old twin daughters were found stabbed to death in the basement of their home. His oldest daughter survived the attack with severe injuries. The case remain unsolved, and the house, which has been turned into a church, is where Mr. Lin is staging his fast.

80年代林義雄因政見不同而被關押在監獄，他的母親和當時七歲的雙胞胎女兒被發現在家中地下室被殺身亡。其長女雖然脫險，但多處受傷。此案至今仍未偵破。林宅如今已被建成教堂，林義雄便是在此教堂進行絕食。

'If I die, please wrap me up with the bed sheet and put me inside the crematory. Place my ashes in the old unwanted bottle lying around in the house. You will be sad over Dad's death, but I hope the shorter the duration will be, the better,' Mr. Lin wrote in an open letter to his surviving daughter.

林義雄在寫給長女的信中交代：“如果我死了，用牀單將我裹起來，丟進焚化爐；骨灰要裝在家裏的舊瓶舊罐裏；爸爸死了，你當然會傷心一陣子，但我希望這時間越短越好。”

Other anti-nuclear activists plan to join Mr. Lin in protest by staging a demonstration in front the Presidential Office on Saturday.

臺灣其他反核團體計劃週六在馬英九辦公場所前舉行示威活動以聲援林義雄。

Jenny W. Hsu

Jenny W. Hsu