Environmental groups yesterday called on members of the legislature’s Economics Committee to rework the draft amendments to the Mining Act (礦業法) to prevent mining corporations from exploiting Aboriginal property.
While many lawmakers proposed their drafts in previous legislative sessions, the Executive Yuan published its draft on Dec. 7, sparking criticism from many lawmakers and environmentalists over its content.
The Cabinet’s draft is more regressive than the one proposed in July by the Bureau of Mines, Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan consultant Tsai Chung-yueh (蔡中岳) told a news conference before the meeting, adding that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers are allegedly planning to rush it through.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Regarding Article 13, the Cabinet proposed that miners applying for mining permit extensions should undergo a new environmental impact assessment conducted by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).
However, the draft does not require miners to stop their operations during the assessment, New Power Party Legislator Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) said, adding that the Ministry of Economic Affairs is the agency that determines whether a mining project can be extended.
The EPA has been reduced to a subsidiary of the ministry, which would be given unduly administrative power to make decisions about mining projects, he said.
The act should not cater to the needs of Asia Cement Corp, Hsu said, urging lawmakers who have received donations from cement makers to withdraw from the review to avoid conflicts of interest.
The Cabinet proposed a new article, 43-2, that would require miners applying for a permit extension to observe the Indigenous Peoples Basic Act (原住民族基本法) by submitting documents to prove that local Aborigines have agreed to or joined their project.
However, this would mean that their approval is not necessary, Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan researcher Huang Ching-ting (黃靖庭) said.
The government only respects Aborigines when it needs them to perform in big events, but as for their rights to land and natural resources, it can find all kinds of excuses to exploit their property, Legal Aid Foundation lawyer Hsieh Meng-yu (謝孟羽) said.
Regulations regarding Aborigines’ approval and the extension of mining permits were among the most hotly debated subjects during the meeting.
As lawmakers could not reach consensus about many articles, DPP Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉), the committee convener, said that the review is to continue tomorrow and on Thursday if necessary.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS