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Protest disrupts Ma’s
visit to Ma Village
PETITION: The Huaguang Community faces
demolition on Feb. 24, but residents are fighting for a resettlement plan while
battling lawsuits from the Ministry of Justice
By Stacy Hsu / Staff writer, with CNA
Security guards carry away
residents of Taipei City’s Huaguang Community who got down on their knees while
receiving red envelopes from President Ma Ying-jeou in Ma Village, Tongsiao
Township, Miaoli County, yesterday as they appealed for help in preventing their
community from being demolished.
Photo: Fu Chao-piao, Taipei Times
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday
received a petition letter from a resident of a Taipei community facing
demolition as part of an urban renewal plan as Ma visited Ma Village (馬家庄) in
Miaoli County’s Tongsiao Township (通宵) to worship ancestors and distribute red
envelopes.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year holidays, Ma made his 15th annual visit
to Ma Village, which has no actual connection with the Hong Kong-born
president’s relatives or ancestors.
The president made a brief speech after he participated in a traditional
ancestor-worshiping ceremony, before handing out auspicious red envelopes
containing NT$1 each to people waiting in line to wish them a prosperous year
ahead.
In the line was a female resident of the Huaguang Community (華光社區) in Taipei,
who fell to her knees when it was her turn to receive an envelope from Ma.
Her abrupt move was followed by about four people behind her in line, who were
also believed to be community residents.
Quickly carried away by presidential security guards, they shouted slogans
urging Ma to take responsibility for their community’s planned demolition,
causing a commotion.
Ma received the petition from the woman after order was restored.
Located near the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei’s Zhongzheng District
(中正), Huaguang Community houses nearly 60 households, mostly made up of veterans
who fled the Chinese Civil War with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime
in 1949 and their descendants.
While the land belongs to the Ministry of Justice, the community existed for
decades until the early 2000s, when the city government drew up an urban renewal
project and demanded the eviction of the economically disadvantaged families
living in the community.
During his two terms as Taipei mayor, Ma repeatedly pledged to help the
community’s residents resettle, as did several central government officials.
However, those reassurances failed to win the residents a resettlement plan.
Instead the residents have faced a wave of lawsuits over illegal occupation
filed by the ministry, which have demanded that each household pay millions in
compensation.
Demolition is set for Feb. 24.
The Presidential Office said Ma has paid close attention to the developments
regarding the community and that he telephoned the heads of concerned government
agencies after his Ma Village visit to ask for more information.
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