More than 2,000 people, including many dressed in traditional Aboriginal garb, marched through the streets of Taipei yesterday afternoon protesting the controversial Miramar Resort Village construction project on Taitung County’s Shanyuan Beach (杉原沙灘).
The parade, initiated by an alliance of more than 40 civic groups and Aboriginal tribes from across the nation, was held to protest the development project, which has been ruled invalid more than once by the Supreme Administrative Court, but still gained approval at a local environmental impact assessment meeting last year and is scheduled to go into operation this year.
The march was titled “Don’t say goodbye to the eastern coastline,” and the protesters expressed concern that the Miramar case would set an example for other development projects along the eastern coastline and cause irreversible damage to the environment.
Photo: Chien Jung- Fong, Taipei Times
The crowd in Taipei was joined by a group of people that had marched for 17 days from Taitung to Taipei.
At the head of the parade was an Amis bamboo raft with a banner that read “Return our domain to us,” carried by 20 men, to express their hope to live in harmony with nature.
The protesters said the hand-made raft represents the idea of taking “just enough” from nature instead of abusing and exhausting natural resources.
“Aborigines do not have a specific life philosophy, but they do feel strongly connected to the land,” Aboriginal folk singer Panai said. “Please feel our affection for the land. This is what residents in Taipei have lost.”
The parade marched through the streets of Taipei, singing an Aboriginal verse signifying waves and the ocean in response to the chanting of Aboriginal folk singer Nabu.
They shouted demands such as “tear down the Miramar, protect the eastern coastline,” “protect our homeland” and “we don’t want cement dumped on the beach.”
The protesters arrived at the Miramar Garden Taipei (美麗信花園酒店), a hotel owned by the same corporation as the Miramar Resort Village in Taitung, and the crowd waved silver grass, mimicking a ritual aimed at expelling evil spirits and purifying the heart.
Reaching Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office, the protesters held hands and performed an Amis harvest festival dance.
The leader of the walking group, Lai Ching-lung (賴進龍), born in the Malan Tribe of Taitung, walked the whole journey to Taipei barefoot.
He said the journey had been exhausting, but while walking through the many tribes along the way, he felt the significance of bringing their message of protecting traditions and the environment to the Presidential Office.
“I hate that the government is treating us like this. It is using inappropriate measures to take our land and ocean from us.” Lai said, adding: “The coast is where the Amis used to collect food and live. Now we are concerned that the ocean will be polluted and destroyed by development projects.”
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS