SUVA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua)-- A Fijian parliamentarian has called on the country's leaders to take a firm stand against Japan's planned discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.
Japan's decision to dump the wastewater into the sea threatened not only Fiji's immediate ecosystem, but also the livelihoods of islander communities, Ketan Lal, a parliamentarian of opposition party FijiFirst, told Fiji Times.
"Our people rely on the ocean for sustenance and survival, and we cannot stand by as a nuclear shadow threatens to taint our marine resources," Lal said.
He said the Pacific islanders have witnessed the devastating consequences of nuclear contamination, and they must "not allow history to repeat" itself on their shores.
Japan's claims of safety cannot be trusted blindly, the parliamentarian noted, "We must raise our voices together, a chorus of unity against this looming disaster. We must safeguard our marine resources, our island homes, and our future."
He urged the government to heed the call made by environmental activists to fight against Japan's intentions.
Amid wide criticism from both home and abroad, the Japanese government has been pushing to dump the nuclear-contaminated wastewater this summer from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was hit by a massive earthquake and an ensuing tsunami in March 2011.
According to media reports, the specific discharge date is expected to be set in late August. ■