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Police arrest two
during protest over Dapu homes
SLOGAN USE: Police said the two protesters, who
were demonstrating near the new Ministry of Health and Welfare, had violated the
Public Safety Act
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
The Taiwan Rural Front and allied
groups protest in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday against
last week’s demolition of four houses in Dapu Borough in Miaoli County’s Jhunan
Township.
Photo: CNA
Hsu Shih-jung, a professor at
National Chengchi University, is dragged away by police yesterday during a
protest outside the Ministry of Health and Welfare over the demolition of houses
in Dapu Borough, Miaoli County.
Photo: J. Michael Cole, Taipei Times
Renewed clashes broke out yesterday as
self-help organizations against the forced house demolitions in Miaoli County’s
Dapu Borough (大埔) protested outside the new Ministry of Health and Welfare in
Taipei during a visit by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), leading to the arrest of
a National Chengchi University professor and another demonstrator.
Four houses in Dapu were demolished by the Miaoli County Government on Thursday
last week to make way for a science park project, despite the protests of
students, academics and civic group activists questioning the legitimacy of the
local government’s actions.
More than 100 people demonstrated in front of the Presidential Office, urging
the government to apologize and return the land to its owners before Aug. 18,
which would mark the one-month anniversary of the houses being torn down.
Taiwan Rural Front spokeswoman Frida Tsai (蔡培慧) said the central government had
connived with the county government, and their brutal actions not only
demolished the houses, but also the public’s last bit of faith in the government
system.
The groups said the county government even asked one of the homeowners to pay a
disposal fee of about NT$242,000 — approximately the same amount as the owner
received in compensation for the land expropriation.
They said the request laid bare the “brutal and intentional bullying” nature of
the Miaoli County Government.
Peng Hsiu-chun (彭秀春), one of the four homeowners, held up objects salvaged from
the rubble of her home.
“I don’t want to stand against the government. I only want a home — a home that
I worked hard for. I paid my taxes, but my home is gone now,” a sobbing Peng
said.
Tsai said if the government does not apologize to the people, return their land,
investigate possible corruption surrounding the project and immediately amend
the Land Expropriation Act (土地徵收條例) to protect the public’s rights, they will
call for more people to “dismantle the bandit government.”
Several of the demonstrators later went to Tacheng Street, where Ma was
attending the opening ceremony for the new ministry.
“[You] knock down houses in Dapu today; [we] tear down the government tomorrow,”
National Chengchi University professor Hsu Shih-jung (徐世榮) sang as black
official state cars drove by the crowd on the sidewalk.
Hsu, who was shouting the slogan adopted by the protesters, was immediately
pulled away by police officers, who said he had violated the Public Safety Act
(公共危險罪).
Although he repeatedly said that he had not broken the law, Hsu was dragged to a
police car and taken to a police station by several officers.
As he was taken away, other protesters surrounded the police and shouted “use of
excessive force.”
Hung Chung-yen (洪崇晏), a student from National Taiwan University, was also taken
away by police for alleged violations of the act and malfeasance after he fell
to the ground and injured his head during clashes with police.
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