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Leaders mark anniversary of 921 earthquake

STAFF WRITER
Sunday, Sep 22, 2002, Page 3

The collapsed Wuchang Temple in Chichi Township, Nantou County, is now a tourist attraction. Donations have poured in from devotees around the country for a new temple. PHOTO: RICK CHU, TAIPEI TIMES

Facing severe criticism from earthquake victims and social activists, key government leaders yesterday visited major disaster areas of the 921 earthquake in central Taiwan, marking the third anniversary of the catastrophe, local Chinese-language media reported.

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday attended the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Show Chwan Memorial Hospital in Changhua City, which was seriously damaged by the earthquake.

The president also inspected post-earthquake reconstruction work at the Taotung Academy (道東書院) in Homei Township, Changhua County. The grade-two national heritage site was built in 1857 in the Qing dynasty, but was damaged by the earthquake.

Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) attended the inauguration of a monument in Nantou's Chiufenerh Mountain, which is close to the epicenter of the 921 earthquake.

The monument was erected in memory of the earthquake victims. Thirty-nine people in this area were killed by mudslides triggered by the massive temblor.

Earthquake survivors use candles to write ``overcoming 921 together'' at a ceremony in Taichung County on Friday night. PHOTO: HUNG HSIAO-CHING, TAIPEI TIMES

Lu also inspected reconstruction work of the Kuo Hsing Junior High School, also in Nantou. The vice president said she was pleased to see the progress made in the area but that the public would never forget what had happened.

Premier Yu Shyi-kun also visited Nantou yesterday. He went to the aboriginal village in Jenai Township yesterday morning and attended a memorial ceremony for earthquake victims.

Because of severe landslides in the area, the entire aboriginal village will soon be relocated to a safer place. The relocation project will cost more than NT$56 million.

Rubble from an apartment building in Tungshi Township, Taichung County, has still not been cleared three years after the earthquake. PHOTO: CHANG JUNG-YU, TAIPEI TIMES

"On behalf of the Cabinet, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the efforts and donations that the public has made," the premier said.

He also said that although post-disaster relief operations weren't perfect, the government will make every effort to push major reconstruction projects forward.

Meanwhile, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) yesterday visited both Nantou and Taichung to express his concerns over the delayed reconstruction projects in central Taiwan.

Temporary housing units at the Shing Yuan First Village in Tungshi Township, Taichung County, are still being used. PHOTO: CHANG YU-JUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

The PFP legislative caucus has also visited these two counties over the past few days and held a public hearing in Taichung to examine the progress of the reconstruction work.

While leaders from the ruling and opposition camps were busy inspecting the quake-affected regions, however, earthquake victims and social activists yesterday criticized the government for delays in the post-earthquake reconstruction work.

In Taipei, the Taiwan Residential Rights Alliance (台灣居住權聯盟) held a press conference to protest the tardiness and ineffectiveness of the post-earthquake reconstruction work.

The alliance called on earthquake victims and the public to join its overnight protest in front of the Presidential Office, scheduled for Oct. 9, the day before the Taiwan's national day.

On Friday, a legislative panel also urged the Control Yuan to impeach Minister of Education Huang Jung-tsun (黃榮村) and former minister without portfolio Chen Jin-huang (陳錦煌) -- two former chiefs of the Cabinet's 921 Earthquake Post-Disaster Recovery Commission -- for dereliction of duty.
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