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Miaoli County’s Liu
says he did not duck protests
CLOSE SHAVE? Despite being spotted in the
legislature’s barbershop during the protests, the commissioner said other
business kept him away from a promotional event
By Shih Hsiu-chuan / Staff reporter
Guards at the Legislative Yuan in
Taipei remove a protester, who was denouncing the demolitions in Miaoli County’s
Dapu Borough, from an agricultural product promotion organized by the Miaoli
County Government yesterday.
Photo: CNA
While the forced demolition of four houses
in Miaoli County’s Dapu Borough (大埔) on Tuesday last week has seemingly prompted
activists to protest wherever President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Vice President Wu
Den-yih (吳敦義), and Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) go, Miaoli County Commissioner
Liu Cheng-hung (劉政鴻) yesterday said that he has “a clear conscience” over the
matter.
Despite his claim, Liu yesterday decided not to participate in a promotional
activity for top-grafted pears being held at the legislature in Taipei by the
Miaoli County Government, after learning of a planned protest against the Dapu
demolitions. According to a press release, Liu was supposed to take part in the
promotional event, but was later spotted having a shave in the legislature’s
barbershop.
In response to media requests later yesterday for comment on his absence from
the event, Liu said he did not absent himself on purpose, but was at a
ceremonial ground-breaking in Miaoli.
Liu appealed to opponents of the Dapu demolitions — carried out to make way for
a county development project to expand the Jhunan Science Park — to stay
rational and consider the issue from a legal perspective.
The Miaoli County Government acted in accordance with a policy formulated by the
urban planning review committee at the Ministry of the Interior’s Construction
and Planning Agency to remove the four houses, Liu said.
Liu said he had no choice but to follow the policy because as a local government
commissioner he has to run the administration according to the law.
Liu said he “has a clear conscience” about many things.
However, Liu’s remarks contrasted sharply with central government officials
repeatedly emphasizing that the demolition case lay within the purview of the
Miaoli County Government.
Before the promotional event at the legislature yesterday morning, dozens of
students shouting slogans gathered outside the building, where they hoped to
confront Liu.
The protesters were soon forcibly removed by police.
Later, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬) turned up
unsolicited at the promotional event, where she stepped on to the podium
shouting slogans and tried to grab the microphone from Lai An-ping (賴安平), head
of the county government’s agriculture department, but ended up falling off the
stage and hitting her head.
She was taken to hospital for an examination, but last night said she was fine
and was told by doctors to take more rest.
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