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Promises fail to reassure commune residents

A policeman stops residents of the Treasure Hill Commune in Taipei from entering the community yesterday. The Taipei City Government is initiating a renovation project of the area and has classified residents unwilling to leave the area as illegal occupants. PHOTO: WANG MIN-WEI, TAIPEI TIMES

The Treasure Hill Commune (THC), a group of artists living at Treasure Hill, is concerned about the future of the historical community in southern Taipei.

After World War II, a community composed primarily of war veterans who retreated to Taiwan with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government developed around a Buddhist temple named Treasure Hill (寶藏巖).

Residents built houses without permission and the community was declared illegal by the city government in 1994, but last year the Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs recognized its historical significance and promised to preserve and renovate it. However, some residents and members of the THC were skeptical.

Residents received a letter from the city's Building Administration Office (BAO) on Jan. 18 that asked them to sign an agreement.

"The house shall be demolished voluntarily within the deadline set forth by the city government," a line from the agreement reads, "[I] agree that the BAO may demolish the house on my behalf after the deadline. [I] will not hold the BAO responsible for any financial or material damages."

"In order to begin the renovation project, we've asked residents to move into temporary housing. We're not going to demolish [the buildings]."

Chen Chia-chin, a city official

"In order to begin the renovation project, we've asked residents to move into temporary housing," Chen Chia-chin (陳嘉欽), a city official said. "We're not going to demolish [the buildings]," he added.

When a resident asked city officials to clarify the content of the letter, they rushed to leave and told him "don't give me any trouble."

The THC staged a protest by tearing down a piece of wall on Friday. "I thought they wanted us to demolish buildings voluntarily," a member of THC said.

The City Government has called the action illegal, and the THC members illegal occupants.

"All legal residents have been well taken care of," Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said, "we will not tolerate illegal occupants."

After the protest on Friday, the police set up a checkpoint at the entrance to the community to prevent non-residents from entering, "to protect residents who are moving out," a police officer said.

"Confrontation is not our goal," Chi Yue-chun (紀岳君), a THC member said, "we'd rather see Hau sit down and talk with us."
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