With the Taipei County Government's deadline for the eviction of leprosy patients from Lo Sheng Sanatorium approaching, a group of sanatorium residents yesterday appealed to Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) to speed up the passage of a bill which they hope can help save their home.
The county government issued an ultimatum early this month saying that it would resort to forcible eviction if residents fail to move out by April 16.
The Sinjhuang compound is to be demolished make way for construction of a Mass Rapid Transit depot.
Although a series of protests calling for the preservation of the sanatorium have been staged recently, the government seems reluctant to change its initial plan.
And although Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said recently he would find an acceptable solution to the dispute, he didn't guarantee the sanitorium would be saved, said Chan Ming-chou (詹銘洲), a member of the Hansen's Patients Human Rights Violation Investigation Committee.
"The Taipei County government still has no intention of revoking its demolition plan. We therefore called on the speaker to help us save the sanatorium and safeguard the residents' human rights through legislative measures," he added.
Several lawmakers across party lines last week reached consensus on a bill designed to compensate leprosy patients mistreated by the government, preserve the sanatorium and defend patients' right to live in the area.
"Although we made a little progress with the bill, it's still not enough to preserve the Lo Sheng Sanatorium," said Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛).
"On the one hand, the bill has to clear the legislature by April 13, but some lawmakers have said they will oppose it," she added.
Lai said the initial consensus on the bill was reached because lawmakers that support the demolition were absent, adding she was concerned an agreement would prove elusive during the next round of negotiations.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
ISOLATION: The outposts would serve as support and backup bases, forcing US forces to either face China head-on or reroute, increasing travel time and operational costs China’s outposts in the South China Sea could be used to delay and constrain foreign forces during a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, giving Beijing a critical window to carry out amphibious landing and blockade operations, a report said. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) forward operating bases on islands and reclaimed features in the South China Sea could delay foreign forces long enough for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to secure a key 48-to-72-hour window in the Taiwan Strait, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council found. The report, conducted by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, examined
RSS