When the government targets land and houses where ordinary people have lived for generations for urban development, that property is normally either turned into a road, or has a park or school built on it.
The people ejected to make way for the project are only compensated based on the assessed and publicly announced value of the land requisitioned. Nevertheless, if they are lucky enough to get 30 or 40 percent more than the assessed and publicly announced value, they are meant to be grateful to the government for its “benevolence.”
Whether the people being compensated will be able to afford housing elsewhere is their own business and not in any way a concern of the government’s. Meanwhile, requisitioned land belonging to relatives and close friends of those in power is somehow always used for commercial purposes only, or at the very least, to develop residential areas conveniently situated next to main roads.
In the case of the Taoyuan Aerotropolis project, entire villages are being demolished, while at the same time, land that the government purchased cheaply two or three years ago has now, through the use of various expropriation measures, been turned into very valuable land in terms of development possibilities.
Now that private land belonging to ordinary citizens has been requisitioned for the government’s affordable housing initiative near the planned A7 station on the Mass Rapid Trainsport airport line in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), all the public can do is stand by and watch as the government sells the land meant for the housing project to big businesses for NT$259,000 per ping (3.3m2) when it was expropriated for NT$35,000 per ping.
Out of the 236 hectares of expropriated land, just 10.22 hectares have been used to build affordable housing, while the remaining 225.78 hectares are being used for bogus affordable housing. However, Ministry of the Interior officials have won awards for doing their jobs well, overcoming difficulties and successfully completing their tasks.
When local residents’ sanheyuan (三合院) — traditional three-section housing compounds — traditional medicine stores and rice crops come into contact with the excavators sent by the government, they are instantly turned into rubble and weeds.
When farmers are separated from their land, it has such a huge impact that some feel they cannot go on living and commit suicide as a form of silent protest, while those in power continue to live lives of luxury in their mansions, eating expensive food, drinking fine wine and listening to imported stereo systems.
When the public’s pleas and protests come up against the strong, well-prepared police forces controlled by those in power, it is almost impossible for citizens to meet face-to-face with the officials who make the decisions affecting their land.
Closer examination of the way in which the government and big business wine and dine each other and cooperate seamlessly yields the shocking discovery that they have a side to them that is not as cold-blooded and heartless as the side they so often show to the public.
When ordinary citizens are affected by urban consolidation, land repurposing, expropriations for science parks, urban renewal projects and developments like the aerotropolis, they are always the ones whose rights end up being sacrificed, while those in power are perennially the ones who enjoy the benefits of these sacrifices.
Are all these things merely coincidence or an inevitable outcome? You be the judge.
Chang Kuo-tsai is a former associate professor at National Hsinchu University of Education and former deputy secretary-general of the Taiwan Association of University Professors.
Translated by Drew Cameron
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.