The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday also criticized the DOH for “toying with people’s lives” and threatened to lead a crowd of protesters to the harbor when the first US meat shipment arrives.
“Some government officials said the chance of catching BSE is slimmer than getting struck by lightning. But the problem is there are still people who die of lightning strikes,” said DPP Lawmaker Huang Sue-ying (黃淑英), blasting the health authority for putting the public at risk for political reasons.
Huang said William Stanton, the top US envoy to Taiwan, recently said Taiwan has a chance of being included in the visa-waiver program.
She said she suspected the decision and the timing of the lifting of the ban were based on political considerations.
DPP Legislator Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇) said that if the government insisted on reopening the market to US beef, then the least it could do was follow Japan’s lead by inspecting each meat shipment instead of using random checks.
At a separate setting, Consumers’ Foundation official Gaston Wu (吳家誠) also criticized the government’s decision as irresponsible and recklessly endangering the lives of consumers.
“From a consumer’s standpoint, this decision is unacceptable, totally unacceptable,” Wu said.
BSE, unlike H1N1, is still an incurable disease, he said, adding that the lack of facilities equipped to analyze the disease coupled with lax regulatory standards for beef from the US make the disease especially dangerous.
“Unless the government can show it can ensure the safety and health of everyday consumers in a transparent and responsible manner ... [the restrictions] should not be rescinded.” Wu said.
According to Wu, this is also a clear case of the government caving in to US pressure.
“Our government, for political considerations, is willing to sacrifice the interests and health of its citizens,” Wu said. “As soon as the [US] started exerting pressure, our government crumbled.”
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), on the other hand, welcomed the lifting of the ban.
“We welcome announcement of the new bilateral protocol on US beef imports into Taiwan and Taiwan’s publication of its amended import requirements for US beef and products, which are science-based and consistent with OIE guidelines,” AIT spokesman Thomas Hodges said yesterday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that diplomatic maneuvering had played no part in the decision to lift the ban on US beef, but it welcomed any news that benefited the livelihoods of Taiwanese and improved Taiwan-US relations.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VINCENT Y. CHAO AND FLORA WANG
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