Environmental campaigner and attorney Thomas Chan (詹順貴) yesterday criticized the Taipei City Government’s handling of the forced demolition of a home and called on Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) to mete out punishment to the developer for its “blatant” disregard of procedure.
In a Facebook post, Chan denounced Pacific Construction Co (太平洋建設) for tearing down a building on Friday owned by a man named Luo Chin-kuang (羅進光) without his consent.
The demolition was carried out “in a stealthy manner” shortly before the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is an important holiday on which people get together with their families, he said.
Citing Article 36 of the Urban Renewal Act (都市更新條例), Chan said that not only had Pacific Construction not informed Luo in advance of the date of the demolition, it also failed to inform the city government, “demonstrating that the firm had disrespected Ko prior to its actions.”
According to the article, project contractors are required to notify property owners whose deeds have been changed in an urban renewal project before demolishing or relocating their buildings. Should the property owners fail to have the buildings torn down or moved after 30 days of being notified, contractors are to request local governments to carry out the demolition.
Such blatant disregard for procedure in a demolition was unheard of even during the tenure of former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), who had good rapport with construction firms, Chan said, adding that it was ironic that such a thing would occur during Ko’s term as mayor.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft