Chinese anti-nuclear activist sent to labour camp
A well known environmental activist and recipient of the 2006 Nuclear-Free Future Award, Sun Xiaodi, has recently been sent to a ‘re-education through labour’ (RTL) camp for his ongoing efforts to expose corruption and dangerous pollution from China’s nuclear industry.
His daughter, Sun Dunbai, has also been given a one and half year sentence for her involvement in what a Chinese court has described as ‘criminal acts that endangered state security’. Their crimes include inciting the public with libellous slogans including “nuclear pollution” and “human rights violation".
Sun Xiaodi is a former worker at No. 792 Uranium Mine, a base of production of nuclear material in Gansu Province, in Northwest China.
Since 1988 Sun has repeatedly travelled to Beijing to petition the government to end the corruption that saturates China's nuclear industry, and speaking out for the rights of the mine workers.
Sun has spoken out to foreign journalists about frequent discharges of radioactive waste into Gansu waterways. He said the Chinese government “officials have blood on their hands” because of failures to enact proper safety requirements at the uranium mine.
In answer, public officials mounted a concerted ongoing campaign over two decades that has stripped Sun Xiaodi of his job and subjected him, his wife and daughter to a host of indignities.
Despite several prison terms and continuous threats for Chinese authorities, in 2006 Sun sent a message to the ceremony of the Nuclear-Free Future Award.
"Breaking through fear to fight for a nuclear-free environment requires a person to take a path full of hardship, bloodshed and tears, which could end up in either life or death,” Sun said in a recorded message to the Nuclear-Free Future Award ceremony.
“However, I firmly believe that if all people who are peace-loving and concerned with human destiny and upholding justice can come together and take action as soon as possible, a nuclear-free tomorrow can become a reality."
Sun Xiaodi is paying a very high price for just speaking out against the corruption in China’s nuclear industry.
In considering selling uranium to China as part of the Olympic Dam proposal, Australia should ask whether it is appropriate to be trading uranium with a government that clearly fails to meet minimum international human rights standards.