HTC Corp (宏達電) chairwoman Cher Wang’s (王雪紅) elder sister yesterday said she would open her church near the Shihmen Reservoir (石門水庫) to the public after being accused of using state-owned land for church activities.
Wang Kuei-yung’s (王貴雲) remarks came after the Chinese-language Next Magazine reported that the church fenced off nearly 10,000 ping (33,058m2) of land, including the church’s own property and 1,250 ping of state-owned land.
IRON GATES
The report said the church closes the fence’s iron gates most of the time to stop people trespassing.
Wang Kuei-yung told a news conference that the fence that separates the church and the reservoir was in place before the church bought and rented the two plots of land.
She said it was not the intention of the church, but the land inside the boundary happens to include some state-owned property.
Wang Kuei-yung said the church has paid about NT$165,360 (US$5,255) to the Ministry of Finance National Property Administration in the past few years for the state-owned property.
The church could not demolish the fence because the area is within a restricted zone for water protection, she said.
Wang Kuei-yung said the church chose to lock the iron gate in an effort to protect people from getting hurt in an unfamiliar environment.
The church said it would start opening the iron gate to the public between 8am and 5pm daily, but people who choose to step inside the property should be responsible for their own safety.
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