TEPCO shareholders, activists rally outside Japan Supreme Court over Fukushima liability

A group of plaintiffs, including some shareholders of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) and several non-governmental organizations, held a rally in front of Japan's Supreme Court on Thursday, urging the court to accept their appeal and reassess the responsibility of the company's former management in the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

In July 2022, some TEPCO shareholders filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court. The first-instance ruling found four of the company's five former executives liable, ordering them to pay 13.3 trillion yen (about 83 billion U.S. dollars) in damages to the shareholders.

However, during the second-instance trial, the Tokyo High Court overturned the initial ruling and ruled against the plaintiffs. Some shareholders of TEPCO argue that the company's former management bears responsibility for the Fukushima disaster and should be liable for financial compensation.

"We hope that the Supreme Court will deliver a correct and fair ruling," said Ogawa Sachiko, a representative of the plaintiffs.

The rally also attracted many Fukushima residents, as well as evacuees who were forced to leave their hometowns after the nuclear accident. They said the impacts of the Fukushima disaster are far from over.

"As the evacuation zones continue to shrink, there are still many evacuees who have not received the support they need. I believe the government bears significant responsibility in this regard," said Maya Sato, a Fukushima resident.

"Essentially, even after 15 years, it remains unclear who is responsible for the nuclear accident, which makes me feel as though there is an intentional cover-up of the issues. As a person who once lived in Fukushima, I hope that the Japanese government and TEPCO can provide a truly responsible response," said an evacuee from Fukushima.

Hit by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and the ensuing tsunami on March 11, 2011, the Fukushima nuclear plant suffered core meltdowns that released radiation, resulting in a Level 7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale.

TEPCO shareholders, activists rally outside Japan Supreme Court over Fukushima liability

A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday slammed Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te over his latest remarks on cross-Strait relations, accusing him of promoting secessionism and escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in a press release that Lai's speech marking his second anniversary in office was "filled with lies and deception, hostility and confrontation."

Chen accused Lai of stubbornly adhering to a secessionist stance in pursuit of "Taiwan independence," while exaggerating the so-called threats from the mainland and intensifying confrontation across the Strait.

Lai played an old trick of advocating the secessionist agenda on one hand and, on the other, calling insincerely for dialogue and exchanges with the mainland, attempting to mislead people in Taiwan and deceive the international community, he said.

Chen said that these common tricks have been seen through by more and more Taiwanese people. Their deceptive and provocative actions will be met with firm opposition from compatriots on both sides and the international community, and are doomed to fail.

Reaffirming the mainland's position on the Taiwan question, Chen said Taiwan has never been a country, is not one now, and will never become one in the future.

He described the Taiwan question as a historical issue left over from a Chinese civil war in the 1940s.

No election result in Taiwan could alter the fact that Taiwan is part of China or sever the historical and legal bonds linking the two sides of the Strait, according to Chen.

The mainland would never allow any person or force to pursue secessionist activities under any pretext, he added.

Calling secessionists "the chief culprit" who undermines cross-Strait peace, Chen said the mainland would continue to uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, unite broadly with Taiwan compatriots, combat secessionist activities, and safeguard peace and stability across the Strait.

Central government spokesperson refutes Lai Ching-te's latest remarks, warns against secessionist moves