Hundreds of fruit farmers took to the streets yesterday to protest against the government's policy on land rehabilitation, arguing that they were not responsible for the deforestation that has led to numerous landslides.
"It's not that we don't support the idea of rehabilitating deforested land, but the government's policy will deprive us of our livelihoods," said Wu Lian-hsin (吳連興), president of the Taiwan Yuan-ken Association, a farmers' interest group.
After a sit-in demonstration outside the legislature drew no reaction from governmental officials, the association yesterday sent a fax to the press stating that they would set fire to themselves in protest.
PHOTO: WANG MIN-WEI, TAIPEI TIMES
The protesters brought two barrels of gasoline with them to yesterday's protest and some farmers poured substantial amounts of the fuel onto the street, tainting the air with fumes.
A violent scuffle occurred when the police attempted to seize cigarette-lighters from the protesters. A man by the name of Wu Lian-hsin said that the protest would last for at least a week if the government failed to answer the farmers' grievances.
In an attempt to address the landslide problem, the government passed regulations two years ago prohibiting the planting of fruit on land above 500m in elevation. Under the new regulations, farmers who lease their land from the Council of Agriculture's Forestry Bureau are required to replace fruits growing above that elevation with trees, and to plant at least 600 trees per hectare.
"In the past, we were allowed to plant fruits. We won't be able to make a living by growing only trees," said Yang Shou-ching (楊淑青), who grows persimmon in Taichung County's Dongshih Township (東勢鎮).
"The cost of growing trees is about ten times higher than the output value, and farmers receive a subsidy of less than NT$20,000 (US$615) per year. Without further subsidization, how can we support our families?" said Wu Jin-tsai (
The Taiwan Yuan-ken Association is asking the Forestry Bureau to reconsider its plan to unilaterally remove any fruit still grown above 500m after April 6.
"The move would affect 300,000 fruit farmers, not to mention workers in related industries such as packaging and fertilizer production," Wu Lian-hsin said.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS