A Vietnamese Catholic priest yesterday held a news conference in Taipei to complain about the operations of Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp, a Vietnamese subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Group (FPG).
Father Nguyen Dihn Thuc from the Catholic Diocese of Vinh, who was accompanied at the news conference by Taiwanese lawmakers and representatives of several non-governmental organizations, said pollution from the plant in Ha Tinh Province has severely affected the region’s residents physically and spiritually.
Vietnamese fishermen have been particularly affected as massive numbers of fish were poisoned by chemicals discharged by the steel plant in April, and without fish to sell, they are unable to buy food for their families or provide schooling for their children, Nguyen said.
Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
He said he hopes the Legislative Yuan could help the Vietnamese in three ways: by demanding that the company publicize information about the level of pollution emitted by the steel plant; by providing specific details about cleanup efforts and compensation; and by ensuring that the plant is outfitted with proper equipment to process pollutants.
FPG on July 7 promised to pay US$500 million compensation to residents affected by the discharge of toxic waste and massive fish deaths in April.
The money has yet to be paid to the region’s residents, Nguyen said.
FPG should also be responsible for paying for health check-ups for those residents affected by the spill in April, he said.
If the steel plant cannot guarantee transparency of information, then it should be shut down and asked to leave Vietnam, Nguyen said.
The pollution caused by the plant has damaged Taiwan’s national reputation and would affect President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) “new southbound policy,” he said.
The government and private corporations should take responsibility, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬) said, adding that she would ask the company to provide specific plans on how it plans to compensate for the damage.
Su said that she would pressure Formosa Plastics through state-run China Steel Corp, which holds a 25 percent stake in the company, adding that Taiwan should help other nations through democratic means while maintaining responsibility toward environmental conservation.
DPP Legislator Wu Kun-yuh (吳焜裕) said that during his most recent visit to Vietnam, he saw an increasing emphasis by the Vietnamese government on environmental protection.
Taiwan’s government should ensure that such concerns are included when it drafts its plans for the “new southbound policy,” he said.
Wu said that Taiwanese businesspeople abroad should ensure that environmental protection is a key part of their investments and make a good impression for Taiwanese businesspeople in general.
DPP Legislator Chen Man-li (陳曼麗) said the Legislative Yuan should consider ways that it could legally ensure Taiwanese investors adhere to corporate morals, adding that she would talk with the Executive Yuan about the issue.
While Nguyen said the affected residents have yet to receive compensation from FPG, Vietnamese Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Tran Hong Ha said in a televised meeting held by the Vietnamese parliament on July 30 that FPG had paid US$250 million in compensation on July 28 and that the remainder was expected to be paid on Aug. 28.
Additional reporting by Diane Baker
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as