UN human rights experts on Friday expressed deep regret at Japan's decision to release contaminated water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean, saying the discharge could impact millions of lives and livelihoods in the Pacific region.
"The release of one million tonnes of contaminated water into the marine environment imposes considerable risks to the full enjoyment of human rights of concerned populations in and beyond the borders of Japan," said Marcos Orellana, Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on Right to Food, and David Boyd, Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment in a joint statement.
The experts urged Japan's government to fulfill its international obligations by preventing exposure to hazardous substances, conducting environmental impact assessments of the risks, and protecting the marine environment.
Noting that the water may contain quantities of radioactive carbon-14, as well as other radioactive isotopes, they raised their concerns with the Japanese Government that discharging radioactive water to the Pacific Ocean threatens the health of people and planet.
In reply to expert's concerns, the Japanese government had suggested that the treated water stored in the tanks was not contaminated.
However, the experts believed that the ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System) water processing technology had failed to completely remove radioactive concentrations in most of the contaminated water.
Earlier, countries including China, the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Philippines all expressed grave concerns of the Japanese government's decision.
When asked about the latest UN warning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the Japanese government should follow its international obligations and take back the wrong decision.
It should not be Japan's top choice or the only choice to discharge potentially still radioactive water into the ocean, Zhao said, warning that it could impact future generations in both Japan and other countries.
We hope the Japanese government could take its international obligation and face the international society's unanimous opposition, and to take back the wrong decision, he said.