Taiwan's railway network has a long and illustrious history. Dating back to 1887, it built a reputation as the safest mode of transport around the island and played an important role in the commercial development and industrialization of the nation. However, that reputation is now marred by a series of sinister incidents.
The recent spike in incidents has alarmed passengers, and both the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) and the police have come under increasing scrutiny and criticism for their failure to deal with the situation.
Last week, at a press conference following an inter-departmental meeting aimed at strengthening public security, Premier Su Tseng-chang (
There is the possibility that the timing was not purely coincidental, but one should bear in mind that this was not the first time that the railway has been sabotaged. Between October 2004 and September last year there was a total of six incidents of sabotage on the Southern Link Line between Pingtung and Taitung, all employing the same tactic.
On one occasion, the sabotage resulted in a "Zi-qiang" class express train overturning, injuring 14 people. The saboteur(s) even left a message at the scene of the crime, accusing the TRA of corruption. The incident is not dissimilar to that of the "rice bomber," who was arrested last year.
The police's refusal in the past to take this string of crimes seriously and the TRA's slow reaction have been severely criticized. Over the last few days the TRA has offered petty excuses, such as understaffing, for its failure to tighten up security and conduct patrols of the Southern Link Line after the incident.
According to people familiar with the investigation, the railway saboteur(s) targeted locations that are likely to cause major accidents (such as bridges and downhill gradients). Fortunately, on a number of occasions, the damage was discovered by railway staff before it could cause any major accident.
The skill that the saboteur(s) has exhibited is considerable. However, occupied with promoting their own personal agenda, agencies and officials charged with the responsibility of protecting the public have shown little regard or value for human life. And it is precisely this attitude of contempt that has opened the door for criminals such as the train saboteur(s) to wreak havoc. Aside from security agencies, the government should also look closely at any negligence on the part of TRA staff.
Given the number of times that the railway has been subject to sabotage, the government should treat this as a national security issue rather than simply a series of isolated criminal acts. The sooner the case is resolved, the sooner the public will feel safe. The public should not quietly allow this criminal to remain at large nor accept ludicrous excuses from incompetent officials.
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