Clashes broke out between police and activists yesterday morning as approximately 100 police officers escorted a demolition team sent to flatten the Sanying Aboriginal Community (三鶯部落) in Taipei County.
The community is scattered on the river banks on both sides of Sanying Bridge (三鶯大橋), which connects Sansia (三峽) and Yingge (鶯歌) townships.
Most of the residents are Amis Aborigines who moved to Taipei to work as construction workers or miners. As they were unable to afford housing in the city, they built their own homes on the east bank of Dahan River (大漢溪) with whatever materials they could find more than 20 years ago.
PHOTO: HUANG LI-HSIANG, TAIPEI TIMES
After having torn down most of the homes in the community located in what is legally defined a "flood area" last week, the county government flattened the last nine homes yesterday, in line with its announcement last week.
But when the demolition team -- escorted by the police -- moved into the community at approximately 9am, they were confronted by nearly 40 activists and residents.
The activists included Aboriginal students from National Taiwan University and National Chengchi University, members of the Sijhou Aboriginal Community Self-Help Organization, the Youth Alliance for Losheng, the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, documentary makers and Aboriginal activist and musician Kimbo Hu (胡德夫).
The activists formed a defensive line with bamboo sticks and a human chain, putting the residents behind them.
The police, with shields in hand, pushed through and some protesters fell, while other activists shoved or engaged in verbal exchanges with the police.
Protester Lin Wan-chun (林婉純) was injured and taken to a hospital nearby, while nine other protesters were taken into police custody.
After the police had cleared the scene, the demolition team moved in and flattened the community within an hour-and-a-half.
A simple shelter, with only a wooden frame covered in canvas, which Pan Chin-hua (潘金花) erected after her house was torn down last Thursday, was considered "illegal" and dismantled.
Although they have become homeless, many of the residents have decided to stay at the site.
Families could be seen gathered around bonfires burning wooden structures from their demolished houses on the ground where their home used to be.
There were tents, food, water and clothes donated by the community's supporters from around the country.
"I'll rebuild my home right here," Pan said, while boiling a kettle full of water on a fire on the ground where her home was a week ago.
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
A fourth public debate was held today about restarting the recently decommissioned Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a referendum on the controversial issue to be held in less than two weeks. A referendum on Aug. 23 is to ask voters if they agree that “the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant should continue operations upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns.” Anyone over 18 years of age can vote in the referendum. The vote comes just three months after its final reactor shut down, officially making Taiwan nuclear-free. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) represented
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
‘ANGRY’: Forgetting the humiliations and sacrifices of ‘the people of the Republic of China’ experienced disqualified Lai from being president, Ma Ying-jeou said Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday criticized President William Lai (賴清德) over what he called “phrasing that downplayed Japan’s atrocities” against China during World War II. Ma made the remarks in a post on Facebook on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Ma said he was “angry and disappointed” that Lai described the anniversary as the end of World War II instead of a “victory in the war of resistance” — a reference to the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). The eight-year war was a part of World War II, in which Japan and the other Axis
RSS