Accepting a miniature wooden canoe from an old man of the Tao tribe, Premier Yu Shyi-kun promised to establish a new partnership with the indigenous people of Orchid Island, which is known as "Lanyu" in Chinese, off the southeastern coast of Taiwan. Yu was not there for pleasure, but to apologize for the government's failure to remove the nuclear waste that has been stored on the Tao homeland for the past two decades.

Following Economics Minister Lin Yi-fu's visit to Orchid Island early this month, Yu made the trip himself as a further assurance to residents that the current administration will correct past wrongs and try to realize the goal of a nuclear-free nation.

"I apologize for what the government has done to the Tao people," the premier said last week. He stressed that the administration's nuclear-free ideal has not changed and that it will begin by removing the radioactive waste from Lanyu.

He told residents of the tiny island that the Cabinet will come up with a proposal in three months. In the meantime it will take measures to improve the standard of living, education and medical services available on the island. Finding a new storage site remains a thorny issue, especially since the premier has promised to obtain the consent of local residents of any future site for storage of the radioactive waste.

About 45 square kilometers in area, Orchid Island is under the administrative jurisdiction of the Taitung County Government. It is currently home to approximately 3,200 members of the Tao tribe, which has come to be symbolized by the wooden canoe with red trim traditionally built by tribesmen. The Tao, once called Yami, are unique among Taiwan's recognized tribes in that they never practiced headhunting or fermented alcohol. In fact, they have more in common from an anthropological perspective with the Batan islanders of the northern Philippines.

The Atomic Energy Council began shipping low-grade radioactive waste produced in Taiwan's three nuclear plants, hospitals and research facilities to Orchid Island in 1982. In 1990, state-run Taiwan Power Co.--the agency responsible for energy production on the island--took over management of the repository, which now holds an estimated 98,000 barrels of nuclear waste. The power company has since provided free electricity to households on Orchid Island and contributed to infrastructure development.

The aboriginal community, however, claimed that authorities failed to reveal to them the real purpose for building the repository back in the late 1970s, leading them to believe that the site was to be a can factory. It was not until 1988 that local residents began staging mass protests against further shipments of nuclear waste, which they refer to as anito, or "malevolent spirit." Tribal leaders believe that radiation from the nuclear dump is behind the island's rising rates of cancer and mental retardation. They have accused the government of trampling their human rights and demanded immediate removal of the radioactive waste. They said that about 30,000 barrels show signs of rusting out and could be the source of possible radiation.

Taipower's failure to honor a pledge made several years ago to ship the waste off the island by 2002 again roused indignation in the Tao community. They held out hope that the present administration led by the Democratic Progressive Party would be different, especially since President Chen Shui-bian vowed to form a partnership with the indigenous people while on the campaign trail and again just a few months after his May 2000 inauguration. The Tao people thus launched another large-scale protest recently, prompted public apologies from the economics minister and now the premier.

When Lin visited Orchid Island May 4, he signed an agreement with the Tao tribe to the effect that the government would undertake to protect the rights of the indigenous people. "We will push for legislation to guarantee the nature rights and living rights of the Tao tribe," Lin said.

The minister later announced that two commissions have already been set up to address the issues of dumpsite relocation and development plans for local communities. The relocation commission, Lin noted, is composed of environmentalists, academics and officials as well as representatives of the Tao tribe and officers of Taipower.

The agreement also stipulated that the government be held responsible for any consequences resulting from its failure to abide by the provisions.

Over the years, the government has made a fruitless attempt to find alternate storage sites for nuclear waste. Negotiations have been conducted with such countries as North Korea, Russia, the Marshall Islands and the PRC, but to no avail. World opinion arrays itself against Taiwan whenever it floats the idea of shipping nuclear waste overseas.

There have been proposals to ship the hazardous substance to one of Taiwan's scarcely populated islets for storage. Although Taipower officials maintain that they have not ruled out any possibilities at home and abroad, they admitted that an environmental impact assessment is currently underway on Hsiaochiu, an islet of Wuchiu, which lies about 70 nautical miles off Kinmen Island in the Taiwan Strait.

Taipower stressed that it is still too early to arrive at any decision, as the company still needs to consult Wuchiu's approximately four dozen residents. Even if they consent to the storage, the construction of dock facilities and repository could take up to 10 years, said company officials.

There are currently three nuclear power plants in Taiwan: two in the Northeast and one in the South. Taipower's proposal in 1980 to build a fourth one in Taipei County drew severe criticism from local residents and environmentalists alike. The DPP, then an opposition party, also fiercely opposed the project. The controversy gathered steam for over a decade until construction began in 1998 despite ongoing protest.

The difficulties involved in the disposal of nuclear waste was one of the main reasons former Premier Chang Chun-hsiung halted construction of the fourth nuclear power plant in late 2000. Describing the energy byproduct as "a perennial pain in the neck," Chang said that the government would instead develop renewable sources of energy.

Chang's move later triggered a political firestorm for the Chen administration. Legislators threatened to recall the president and initiate a no-confidence vote against the premier, saying that because the budget for the partially completed power plant had been passed by the Legislature, the Cabinet's move was illegal.

Construction of the plant resumed in 2001 after the Judicial Yuan ruled that the Cabinet had made a procedural flaw in halting construction. But officials said a nuclear-free home remains the ultimate goal of the Chen administration, whose policy priorities include building a greener Taiwan. So far hydropower, coal and liquefied natural gas provide over 80 percent of energy consumed on the island. The government is also exploring renewable energy resources such as solar power and wind generators.

Even so, as consumption rises and the public expects more energy to be churned out by the new nuclear plant, radioactive waste will remain a problem that the authorities must take seriously.