關注社會:昆明煉化廠項目再次引發抗議

Protests against a planned oil refinery and petrochemicals facility broke out in southwest China for the second time this month, as pressure mounted on local leaders over environmental effects of the project.

中國西南部的昆明市本月以來第二次爆發了針對一個煉化廠項目的抗議活動，當地官員在該項目的環境影響方面承受的壓力進一步增大。

The demonstration on Thursday in the city of Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, marks the second sizable protest there since May 4. Local activists are demanding that officials scrap plans to produce the chemical paraxylene, known as PX, as part of the refinery under construction nearby. Many are outraged that local officials won't release the results of an environmental-impact assessment of the project, according to activists and local media.

週四的抗議是5月4日以來發生在雲南省省會昆明的第二起規模較大的抗議活動。當地的活動人士要求政府放棄在附近在建的煉化廠中生產化學品對二甲苯(PX)的計劃。據活動人士和當地媒體說，許多人對當地官員不願公佈該項目的環境影響評估結果感到不滿。

Photos posted to China's Sina Weibo microblogging service showed what appeared to be hundreds of protesters marching through downtown city streets on Thursday. Some carried signs appealing directly to Yunnan's provincial Communist Party chief, Qin Guangrong. The protests appeared to be peaceful.

新浪微博上發佈的照片顯示，約有數百人週四在昆明市中心的街頭遊行。一些人舉着標語直接向雲南省委書記秦光榮表達訴求。抗議似乎是和平的。

'We should try and protect our homeland,' said Guo Jun, a local Kunming university student who took part in Thursday's demonstrations despite warnings from professors not to. Repeated phone calls to government offices in Kunming rang unanswered.

昆明的大學生郭俊（音）不顧老師的警告參加了週四的抗議活動。郭俊說，我們應該努力保護我們的家園。記者多次致電昆明的政府辦公室，但無人應答。

Production of PX in proximity to urban centers is of particular concern for those who fear industrial mishaps at the facilities could put the health of local residents and the environment at risk.

在市中心附近生產對二甲苯令一些人格外擔心，他們認爲，工廠的工業事故可能危及當地居民的健康和環境。

Kunming's mayor, Li Wenrong, last week promised to take opposition against the planned petrochemical facility into account, even pledging to scrap the project if a majority of residents expressed opposition.

昆明市市長李文榮上週承諾，將認真考慮羣衆對煉化廠項目的反對意見，甚至表示，如果大多數居民反對就放棄這個項目。

Opposition to the project has so far largely targeted the planned petrochemcials facility, though some residents say they oppose the oil refinery as well being in such close proximity to the city.

目前爲止，抗議主要針對石化廠項目，不過一些居民說，他們也反對煉油廠項目，因爲它離市區太近了。

PX production is booming in China. The chemical is a critical building block in the production of textiles and plastics, and industry advocates say under normal conditions it can be produced safely and without threat to humans.

中國生產對二甲苯的規模正日益擴大。這種化學品是生產紡織品和塑料的重要原料。行業維權人士說，在正常情況下，對二甲苯的生產是安全的，不會對人造成威脅。

But its production has repeatedly come under fire in recent years from local residents in multiple Chinese cities who fear it will damage their health as well as the environment. Following protests in 2007 in the eastern city of Xiamen, local officials pledged to move a planned PX plant away from the popular tourist town.

但近年來，對二甲苯的生產在中國多個城市一再受到民衆炮轟，人們擔心這會損害身體健康並污染環境。2007年，中國東部熱門旅遊城市廈門的一個對二甲苯項目引發抗議，之後當地官員承諾項目遷址。

Similarly, in 2011, officials promised to shut a plant in the northeast city of Dalian after more than 10,000 people took to the streets in protest of PX production there. State media reported in December that relocation work for the Dalian plant was still under way.

同樣，2011年中國東北城市大連發起了反對在該市生產對二甲苯的萬人大遊行，官員後來承諾會關閉相關工廠。去年12月，中國國有媒體報道稱，大連對二甲苯工廠的遷址工作還在進行中。

Thursday's protests in Kunming were smaller than many environmental protests elsewhere.

相比中國其它城市的很多環保抗議活動，昆明週四的抗議規模較小。

Concerns over transparency and locating the planned refinery so close to the city underpin resistance in Kunming. Residents have demanded officials release results of a government-required environmental impact assessment. Others have called for third-party groups to be allowed to conduct an independent assessment of the planned refinery, which has already been approved by China's National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planning body.

對項目信息透明度的擔憂以及煉油廠擬建廠址毗鄰昆明均增加了該項目的阻力。當地居民要求官員公佈政府規定的環境影響評估結果。還有居民呼籲，應允許第三方組織就這個煉油廠項目展開獨立評估。該項目已經得到了中國最高經濟規劃部門國家發展和改革委員會的批准。

China National Petroleum Corp. is responsible for building the refinery, which will have a capacity of processing 200,000 barrels of crude each day. Another company, Yuntianhua Group, is responsible for the related petrochemicals facility.

這個煉油廠由中國石油天然氣集團公司(China National Petroleum Corp.)負責承建，建成後日煉油量可達20萬桶。雲天化集團(Yuntianhua Group)負責承建相關石化設施。

A senior executive from Yuntianhua said last week that feasibility studies were continuing and that no final decision on which chemicals to produce had been made. Government documents and earlier state-media reports indicated the facility would produce PX.

雲天化集團一位高管上週說，正在進行可行性研究，還沒有最終決定到底生產哪種化學品。政府文件和早前的國有媒體報道均表明，這個項目生產的是對二甲苯。

The refinery is a significant piece of infrastructure as China looks to boost availability of gasoline and other refined oil products across the less developed southwestern portion of the country.

中國目前着眼於在欠發達的西南地區增加汽油和其它成品油供應，而煉油廠是基礎設施的重要組成部分。