Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou's (
But further investigation into the circumstances in which the comments were made also help to discredit election promises made by Ma and his party to Aboriginal people.
The Aborigines of Sijhou Community (
Community leaders pleaded with the KMT's standard bearer after the Taipei County Government gave villagers until the end of the year to vacate the area -- for their own safety, they were told, because their houses are situated on a flood plain.
However, community leaders suspect the real reason behind the KMT-controlled county government's move is that a vast swath of the river bank has been earmarked for a 4.65km-long riverside park stretching from Hsiulang Bridge (
The Aboriginal community has been offered, as compensation, an "apartment complex constructed especially for Aborigines" where they will enjoy reduced rent. But leaders are worried that this will have a devastating effect on their traditionally communal lifestyle.
The Aborigines' concerns seem to have fallen on deaf ears with both the county government and Ma, despite their loyal support for the KMT at election time.
They are not alone, as the owners of small businesses and coffee shops in Bitan face a similar fate. They were ordered to pack up and leave when the county government decided to make the renovation of the popular riverside spot part of its plans.
Many of the traders, who have worked on the site for decades, are unhappy.
They say it will be difficult to afford to stay in the area when work is complete. They fear the government's plans to make the area more "upmarket" will squeeze out small businesses in favor of chain stores and larger operators.
Herein lies Ma's problem.
The KMT, in its bid to win back power, has spent countless hours and millions of dollars to ensure the legislative and presidential election campaigns remain focused on the only thing that the KMT can be proud of from its decades of authoritarian rule: improvements to the economy and standard of living.
The party's election message has been all about how it intends to stick up for the "little guy" in the face of the growing threat posed by the global economy. However, the reality in Sindian and many other locations in recent years paints an entirely different picture.
Put aside the faux concern for the common man, the donning of a farmer's hat and the blue plastic flip-flops, and the message to the stallholders of Bitan, the lepers of Losheng Sanatorium, the artists and residents of Treasure Hill (
Roughly translated, this means: If you stand between the KMT and the path of development, your livelihood isn't so important after all.
In an article published in Newsweek on Monday last week, President William Lai (賴清德) challenged China to retake territories it lost to Russia in the 19th century rather than invade Taiwan. “If it is really for the sake of territorial integrity, why doesn’t China take back Russia?” Lai asked, referring to territories lost in 1858 and 1860. The territories once made up the two flanks of northern Manchuria. Once ceded to Russia, they became part of the Russian far east. Claims since then have been made that China and Russia settled the disputes in the 1990s through the 2000s and that “China
Trips to the Kenting Peninsula in Pingtung County have dredged up a lot of public debate and furor, with many complaints about how expensive and unreasonable lodging is. Some people even call it a tourist “butchering ground.” Many local business owners stake claims to beach areas by setting up parasols and driving away people who do not rent them. The managing authority for the area — Kenting National Park — has long ignored the issue. Ultimately, this has affected the willingness of domestic travelers to go there, causing tourist numbers to plummet. In 2008, Taiwan opened the door to Chinese tourists and in
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Thursday was handcuffed and escorted by police to the Taipei Detention Center, after the Taipei District Court ordered that he be detained and held incommunicado for suspected corruption during his tenure as Taipei mayor. The ruling reversed an earlier decision by the same court on Monday last week that ordered Ko’s release without bail. That decision was appealed by prosecutors on Wednesday, leading the High Court to conclude that Ko had been “actively involved” in the alleged corruption and it ordered the district court to hold a second detention hearing. Video clips
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