Tens of thousands of people rallied yesterday in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei and marched to the Executive Yuan, calling on government officials to apologize for forced land seizures and to stop such policies.
“It is Aug. 18 today, and it was just three years ago, on Aug. 17, that the government promised Dapu [Borough 大埔] residents that their houses would be preserved, while their farmland would be relocated,” Taiwan Rural Front (TRF) president Hsu Shih-jung (徐世榮) said.
“After government officials failed to keep their promises and instead flattened private homes, they ask us to remain calm, but how can we stay calm?” Hsu asked.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
The crowd responded with cheering and applause.
“Apologize and compensate!” “Return the land to the people!” they shouted.
Hsu was referring to a negotiation meeting held in 2010 which featured Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), who was then premier; Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺), the then minister of the interior; and Miaoli County Commissioner Liu Cheng-hung (劉政鴻), following a series of protests against a plan to clear private land and homes to make way for a science park.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
However, despite government promises, four houses in Miaoli County’s Dapu were torn down unexpectedly on July 18, when the county commissioner sent in demolition squads escorted by police officers while the home owners and their supporters were in Taipei protesting the demolition plan.
Asked about the surprise demolition the day after, Liu called it a “god-given opportunity.”
“A month ago, we said that we will tear down the government if they don’t apologize, and now here we are,” said Liao Pen-chuan (廖本全), an associate professor at National Taipei University’s Department of Real Estate and Built Environment.
“We’re not flattening government buildings, but what we are going to do is to destroy the system, which is supposed to protect the disadvantaged. We’re also taking down politicians who are misusing the system to exploit the disadvantaged,” Liao added.
The crowd also set up a mock memorial hall for the county commissioner, with Liu’s portrait in the center, and flowers and incense burners in front of the portrait.
A bag of cow manure was also placed by the mock memorial for people to throw at Liu’s portrait.
“Liu Cheng-hung, cross over the bridge!” the crowd shouted, referring to a traditional belief that the spirit of a newly dead person crosses a bridge into the underworld for judgment.
Since it is believed that the spirits are confused and do not know the way, he or she needs to be reminded to cross the bridge.
Several other organizations for people affected by different development projects also showed up at the rally to show their support and to tell the crowd their stories.
The four families from the demolished houses in Dapu thanked the crowd for their support and promised they will stand with other victims of development projects from now on.
After the rally, the crowd made a stop at the Ministry of the Interior, which is in charge of approving development or urban projects, where they protested outside the building.
The protest was still ongoing as of press time.
INSURRECTION: The NSB said it found evidence the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has grown threefold over a four-year period, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday. In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but that number grew to 64 last year, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was working with gangs in Taiwan to develop a network of armed spies. Spies in Taiwan have on behalf of the CCP used a variety of channels and methods to infiltrate all sectors of the country, and recruited Taiwanese to cooperate in developing organizations and obtaining sensitive information
BREAKTHROUGH: The US is making chips on par in yield and quality with Taiwan, despite people saying that it could not happen, the official said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has begun producing advanced 4-nanometer (nm) chips for US customers in Arizona, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said, a milestone in the semiconductor efforts of the administration of US President Joe Biden. In November last year, the commerce department finalized a US$6.6 billion grant to TSMC’s US unit for semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona. “For the first time ever in our country’s history, we are making leading edge 4-nanometer chips on American soil, American workers — on par in yield and quality with Taiwan,” Raimondo said, adding that production had begun in recent
Seven hundred and sixty-four foreigners were arrested last year for acting as money mules for criminals, with many entering Taiwan on a tourist visa for all-expenses-paid trips, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said on Saturday. Although from Jan. 1 to Dec. 26 last year, 26,478 people were arrested for working as money mules, the bureau said it was particularly concerned about those entering the country as tourists or migrant workers who help criminals and scammers pick up or transfer illegally obtained money. In a report, officials divided the money mules into two groups, the first of which are foreigners, mainly from Malaysia
SILICON VALLEY HUB: The office would showcase Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and help Taiwanese start-ups connect with global opportunities Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley in California, aimed at helping Taiwanese technology start-ups gain global visibility, the National Development Council said yesterday. The “Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley hub” at No. 299 California Avenue is focused on “supporting start-ups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” the council said in a post on its Web site. The office is the second overseas start-up hub established by the council, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September last year. Representatives from Taiwanese start-ups, local businesses and
RSS