Wednesday, April 30, 2014

NUCLEAR POWER DEBATE: Lin I-hsiung ‘in a stable condition’ in hospital: supporters

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) remained hospitalized at National Taiwan University (NTU) Hospital yesterday as the nation awaited his next move after he went on a seven-day hunger strike from Tuesday last week until Monday.

“Lin is in stable condition, physically and mentally, and he called for all participants in the [antinuclear] protests to adhere to the principle of nonviolence,” Lin’s support group posted on his Web site last night.

DPP Legislator Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇), who is close to Lin, said yesterday that Lin has continued his hunger strike in hospital, and could return to his hometown in Yilan County and continue with his fast because the solution offered by the government to the nuclear energy problem is not acceptable.

Lin checked into the NTU Hospital on Monday afternoon for an examination, hours after a visit to a cemetery in Yilan where his murdered mother and twin daughters are buried.

Meanwhile, an evening rally and an overnight sit-in organized by various antinuclear groups were held on Ketagalan Boulevard last night to express support for Lin, and to reiterate their demand for a nuclear-free homeland.

Also yesterday, Lin’s younger sister, Lin Li-chen (林麗貞), released an open letter detailing how her brother has always tried to make Taiwan a better place and how the Lin family felt about his hunger strike.

“I think he visited the cemetery to tell our mother that he has done his best in pursuing his ideals,” Lin Li-chen wrote.