A sightseeing activity was carried out by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to six massive sludge digestion tanks outside a sewage treatment plant in Pali, Taipei County, yesterday to illustrate the effects of "black-gold" culture.
A skit was performed by DPP staffers and volunteers in front of the expensive plant, construction of which was started in 1992 amid a controversy about the discovery of a historical iron-smelting site on the proposed area covering 45 hectares of land in Pali.
According to DPP staffers, the plant could be the largest landmark symbolizing black-gold politics involving the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). The plant's digestion tanks cost only NT$1.7 million but NT$4.8 billion of taxpayers' money was spent on the project, according to the DPP. Then-KMT legislator Wu Tzer-yuan (伍澤元) was accused by the DPP of reapportioning the budget when he headed the Taiwan Provincial Government (台灣省住都局), which was in charge of sewage treatment.
A performer playing the role of Wu, thanked two others performers playing the roles of KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) because "a black-gold miracle was jointly created."
DPP Legislator Lee Wen-chung (
"Wu was prosecuted not only because of this case but also because of another one surrounding a pumping station. He had no choice but to flee to China," Lee said.
The sewage-treatment plant was built by the Taipei City Government to solve pollution problems in the Tamshui River. The first phase of the Great Taipei sewage treatment project cost NT$10.2 million. It was designed to treat about 1.3 million tonnes of sewage a day from Taipei City, Taipei County and Keelung City. The trial was conducted in January 2000, but an official operation was suspended in June, 2001 because the Taipei County Government owned NT$228 million in operating fees.
In response PFP Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) said that the suspension of the plant could be attributed to Taipei County Government, which is reluctant to complete the construction of new sewage pipes.
"How can we have all sewage sent to the plant for further treatment?" Lee Hung-chun said.
Yesterday in Keelung, the DPP also accused the pan-blue camp of involvement in black-gold politics. In front of Keelung Train Station, another skit was played out by DPP supporters.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
REWRITING HISTORY: China has been advocating a ‘correct’ interpretation of the victory over Japan that brings the CCP’s contributions to the forefront, an expert said An elderly Chinese war veteran’s shin still bears the mark of a bullet wound he sustained when fighting the Japanese as a teenager, a year before the end of World War II. Eighty years on, Li Jinshui’s scar remains as testimony to the bravery of Chinese troops in a conflict that killed millions of their people. However, the story behind China’s overthrow of the brutal Japanese occupation is deeply contested. Historians broadly agree that credit for victory lies primarily with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-led Republic of China (ROC) Army. Its leader, Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a
RSS