The Question of Chan Shun-kuei Is Also that of the Public

  The Question of Chan Shun-kuei Is Also that of the Public

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

March 27, 2018

 Translation of an Excerpt

Chan Shun-kuei, deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), cast the tiebreaking vote to green-light the reconstruction of the Shenao coal-fired power plant, hence he became the target of criticisms from various circles. Chan Shun-kuei, with the halo of the environmental protection movement, was appointed deputy administrator of the EPA. Who knew it, the erstwhile environmental protection warrior surprisingly became an accomplice in pushing for burning coal and contaminating air. How could such performance be exonerated by his sophistry that "personal preferences cannot lord over the law"? At a meeting of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Council, Chan Shun-kuei, together with other members, questioned Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), but at the time of voting, he transformed into someone who helped the adoption of the EIA report. Not only representatives of environmental groups on the scene were irritated and wept, irate members even believed that it was intrinsically a “scripted performance, railroading the passage of the report.” No matter what, if Chan Shun-kuei was not the stage director of this drama, he was then the best actor.

What is most interesting is that in order to shirk his own responsibilities, in recent days Chan Shun-kuei pointed his finger at the Economics Ministry, the Bureau of Energy Resources, and Taipower, accusing them of feeding misinformation to Premier Lai Ching-te and misguiding him to speak out the controversial term “clean coal.” He even lambasted that without the Shenao power plant, Taipower's operating reserve would only be cut by 0.1 percent; with the difference of such a miniscule amount of power, would it be worthwhile for the government to spend NT$100 billion to build this power plant? Chan Shun-kuei also appealed to the Economics Ministry, the Bureau of Energy Resources, and Taipower, asking them to “think again for the administration team,” explaining clearly the “road map for energy resources distribution”; otherwise, he would not put his signature on the official document certifying the EIA report. With such performance, does it really mean that attorney Chan, the erstwhile environmental protection warrior, has now resurrected?

In the nuclear-free high drama of Tsai Ing-wen, Chan Shun-kuei is destined to play a tragic role. On the one hand, we can still see his strong moral consciousness, but not using it to defend the ideals of environmental protection, rather using the rhetoric that “his personal preferences cannot lord over the law.” On the other hand, he then vented his grudges that his reputation was harmed against his Cabinet colleagues, believing that others did not fulfill their duties, forcing himself to be compelled to forsake his ideals. A campaign slogan, cavalierly shouted out but not going through the brain, and finally becoming a national policy, the "nuclear-free homeland" has now become Taiwan's legendary curse. Would Chan Shun-kuei be the only one who was deeply trapped in the quagmire of topsy-turvy values for this?

Chan Shun-kuei’s big question is also the doubt in the hearts of the public. We ask the Tsai government to respond!

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