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East coast project must take dissent into account

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Administration's environmental evaluation committee convened its taskforce on the construction of the Suhua Freeway on Thursday to review an analysis of pre- and post-development environmental conditions resubmitted by the Taiwan Area National Expressway Engineering Bureau.

The report only occasionally refers to the project's possible impact on the local economy and environment, which concerns both non-governmental participants and members of the environmental evaluation committee, who requested the bureau submit documentation to support their findings.

This time around, environmental evaluatizon committee members finally took note of suggestions made by long-ignored Aboriginal groups in Hualien and requested that the bureau follow the Indigenous Peoples Basic Act (原住民族基本法) by establishing how traditional Aboriginal areas along the freeway might be affected.

The bureau report said the freeway will pass through traditional Truku areas in Hoping (和平), Chungte (崇德) and Hsiulin (秀林) villages as well as land reserved for Aborigines. Article 21 of the Indigenous Peoples Basic Act, passed in 2005, stipulates that the government or private individuals engaging in land development, resource usage, ecological preservation or academic research on Aboriginal land should consult with and obtain the approval or participation of Aborigines, who should also share in any profits.

Regrettably, government agencies have again ignored the Truku tribe. Whether or not the Truku tribe approves of the freeway, throughout the whole process the government has ignored their suggestions and has not taken the initiative to establish a platform for discussing the matter.

The government has ignored suggestions and dissenting opinions from Aborigines and given ample proof that when Aboriginal rights collide with national policy, the government acts to gain control over Aboriginal living space. Many basic Aboriginal rights have not been enforced.

The freeway will indeed run through traditional Truku land and thus affect our living environment. The government should follow the Environmental Impact Assessment Act and make a proper evaluation of the impact on local Aboriginal tribes and set up a dialogue with them.

Despite the potential effects of this massive project on Hualien, national and local government officials have failed to organize local public hearings or explanatory meetings.

This reluctance to release project information means that local residents only have a limited understanding of the possible benefits and liabilities for Hualien.

With the government's strong push for the project, dissenting opinions among local residents have been ignored by elected officials and the media.

Many Hualien residents don't oppose a freeway per se, but they do not agree that accept that the freeway under development is the only viable option for developing Hualien without making a careful assessment of the region's actual needs.

The planned project could destroy the Hualien landscape and the government's attitude shows a total lack of respect for the opinions and needs of local residents.

The government must reassess this highly disputed project and listen to the needs of local residents.

The bizarre situation, with national government and local officials doing all they can to persuade the public to blindly accept the project as it is, must not be allowed to continue.

Ciwang Teyra is director of the Information and Publication Division at the Taiwan Association for Human Rights and a member of the Truku tribe.
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