Radiation victims condemn Thai gov't at nuclear power confab

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Radiation victims condemn Thai gov't at nuclear power confab

BANGKOK, Nov. 10 (Kyodo) - Ten victims of radiation exposure in Samut 
Prakan Province in February condemned, at a regional conference on 
nuclear power cooperation Friday, the Thai government's handling of 
the accident. 

The 10 attempted to enter the venue of the five-day meeting of the 
Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA), which opened Friday, 
but were barred. 

The conference is tackling ways to handle radioactive waste. 

In the February accident, a scrap-yard worker unwittingly removed the 
cover of a lead cylinder containing cobalt-60, a radioactive isotope 
used in cancer treatment. 

At least three people exposed to the radiation have died and seven 
were hospitalized. Several others were also exposed to the radiation 
but so far have not been seriously ill. 

After being denied entry to the conference, the victims presented a 
statement to an official with Thailand's radiation watchdog, the 
Office of Atomic Energy for Peace (OAEP), who met them. 

In the statement, the victims said they were being ignored by Thai 
authorities. 

All the people, including the three who died, were exposed to 
radiation after the cylinder was removed from a radiotherapy machine, 
stored in a parking lot owned by Kamol Sukosol Electric Co. The 
company alleges the cylinder had been stolen. 

''I have suffered from cobalt-60, and today I'm going to lose another 
finger,'' said Jitsene Jantarasaka, a scrap dealer accused of taking 
the cylinder. Jitsene, who has had six fingers amputated because they 
became gangrenous following exposure, insists he bought the cylinder 
from four men dressed as technicians. 

The victims said the OAEP has denied any responsibility for the 
accident and has not made any efforts to help them. 

''We are here today to condemn OAEP in the international forum and 
let other countries know Thailand is not ready for nuclear (power as 
it) couldn't even handle the cobalt accident,'' said Ida Arunwong, a 
member of a nongovernmental organization helping the victims. 

An international antinuclear network, No Nukes Asia Forum, released a 
statement condemning Japan, the FNCA leader, for promoting nuclear 
power. 

''We find this forum totally outdated in this year 2000, when the 
world has finally come to the conclusion that nuclear technology is 
unprofitable and unaffordable for humankind,'' the statement says. 

Ministers and officials from nine FNCA member countries are attending 
the forum. The conference will discuss nuclear safety measures for 
Asia. 

The FNCA is led by Japan and Australia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, 
the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam are members. 

Among the nine, only China, Japan and South Korea have nuclear power 
plants. 

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Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	
Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Service		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    
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Personal Website: http://sandyfl.nukeworker.net
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