Since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Japan's long-planned plan to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea has officially started on the afternoon of August 24th. The discharge is expected to last for 30 years, and the entire ocean and its organisms may suffer irreversible and devastating impacts.
According to on-site media reports, after flowing for 17 minutes, the contaminated water flowed into the Pacific Ocean through a 1-kilometer underwater tunnel. According to on-site media reports, the sea near Fukushima has shown two different colors.
Currently, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station stores about 1.34 million tons of contaminated water, and Japan plans to discharge 31,200 tons this year in four separate releases, with each release being approximately 7,800 tons. The entire discharge operation is expected to last for 30 years and will affect the entire Pacific Ocean and even global waters.
Our country strongly opposes and condemns this action. According to the General Administration of Customs on August 24th, in order to comprehensively prevent the radioactive pollution risk caused by Japan's discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima into the sea and protect the health of Chinese consumers and ensure the safety of imported food, the General Administration of Customs has decided to suspend the import of water products (including edible aquatic animals) originating from Japan starting from August 24, 2023.
In fact, the plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea has been opposed by Japanese fishermen, as well as many international countries, scientific and environmental organizations since its announcement. However, the Japanese government still insisted on discharging into the sea on August 24th. Among the many voices of opposition, there have also been appearances of hacker organizations.
Recently, the well-known hacker organization Anonymous launched a cyber attack on organizations related to Japanese nuclear power to protest against the government's decision to discharge radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea.
According to the Japan Times, since the International Atomic Energy Agency recognized Japan's discharge plan as meeting safety standards in July, Anonymous has been intensifying attacks on Japan's nuclear power sector. The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, the Japan Atomic Power Company, and the Atomic Energy Society of Japan have all become targets of the attacks. According to the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, its website has been subjected to DDoS attacks with traffic hundreds of times higher than normal, but measures have been taken to prevent any impact on browsing.
According to NTT Security, after the Japanese government officially decided to discharge the wastewater from the damaged nuclear power plant into the ocean in 2021, Anonymous released a "target list" and included Japanese organizations. In addition to the three nuclear-related organizations mentioned above, Tokyo Electric Power Company, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Liberal Democratic Party are also on the list.
A member of Anonymous stated to the media that the Japanese government's policy of discharging treated nuclear waste lacks transparency and the public has not been able to participate in its decision-making. It is necessary to stop the foolish act of turning the ocean into a garbage dump for economic interests.
This is not the first time Anonymous has expressed dissatisfaction with the Japanese government's actions this year. In May of this year, Anonymous was suspected of attacking the Japanese Ministry of Justice to protest against the government's immigration policies, resulting in the interruption of related services on its website twice. Anonymous members also warned the Japanese government on Twitter, demanding that they protect refugees instead of expelling them.
International hacker organization Anonymous#
Anonymous is a large and loosely organized international hacker organization with members in many countries around the world. It was originally the largest hacker organization in the world and the largest political hacker organization. Its members are mainly distributed in the United States, followed by various European countries, Africa, South America, Asia, and other regions. Members in various regions often express their protests against controversial government policies and measures through organized cyber attacks.
Launching OpIran campaign against Iran#
In September 2022, Anonymous announced the launch of the OpIran campaign against Iran and attacked websites including the Iranian government, intelligence agencies, and the police. The incident was triggered by the arrest of a woman named Mahasa Amini by Iranian morality police for wearing a loose headscarf. Just 3 days later, Amini died in the intensive care unit. The Iranian authorities claimed that she died of natural causes due to heart failure at the police station. However, according to medical reports, the Iranian people believe that Amini was beaten to death, leading to large-scale protests on the streets of Tehran, which continued to ferment on social networks.
In order to control public opinion, the Iranian authorities shut down some domestic mobile network services. Subsequently, Anonymous announced on Twitter, "Dear Iran, if you block the internet, we will shut you down." On September 21st, Anonymous attacked the Iranian Court Research Center, the Iranian Parliament, and the police websites, and leaked the stolen data online. They also attacked the official Iranian media, Fars News Agency. The organization called for DDoS attacks on Iranian websites, stealing and leaking data, and also advocated the use of Tor browsers by Iranians to bypass national censorship.
Attacking Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian War#
Shortly after the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War on February 24, 2022, Anonymous officially declared "war" on Russia on Twitter. Within a few days, they attacked more than 300 Russian government websites, national media, and bank websites, including the Kremlin, the Russian Federation Council, the Russian State Duma, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Red Star TV, and the Russian Security Council, all of which were unable to be accessed due to the cyber attacks.
In the following March, Anonymous also attacked websites of Russian institutions such as the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Russian State Nuclear Energy Corporation, and the Central Bank of Russia, stealing a large amount of data and leaking it on the dark web, Twitter, and other channels. It can be seen that Anonymous launched intensive cyber attacks on Russia mainly based on political positions rather than economic motives.
Hackers also have their own attitudes#
Obviously, Japan's discharge of nuclear wastewater into the ocean has once again stimulated the nerves of these hackers, leading to targeted cyber attacks. This also shows how shocking Japan's actions are, as radioactive substances in nuclear waste can cause great damage to the environment. These substances can enter the ecosystem through the water cycle, affecting the survival and reproduction of organisms.
We look forward to more people expressing their attitudes and resisting Japan's discharge of nuclear wastewater into the ocean.