TAIWAN

Greenpeace activists are protesting against the government's decision to ship 200,000 barrels of radioactive waste to famine hit North Korea. They say the move is irresponsible and immoral exploitation of the acute poverty in North Korea.

According to a Greenpeace spokesperson, Taiwan is using its money power to trap a poor country to accept dangerous substances. In April, the environment watchdog had threatened that it would initiate all necessary measures to scuttle Taiwan's endeavour to ship nuclear waste for permanent storage in North Korea.

The Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) had signed an agreement with Pyongyang earlier this year that it would dispose 60,000 drums of low radiation nuclear waste in two years. In lieu of that North Korea would get us $ 1,300 for each barrel of nuclear waste stored in the country.