President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) appealed to survivors of Typhoon Morakot yesterday to evacuate when necessary in the future, because if they don’t cooperate they would jeopardize government officials’ careers.
Continuing his “apology tour” in Kaohsiung County, Ma told Namasiya Township (那瑪夏) residents now staying at a military academy in Yanchao Township (燕巢) that they must realize the importance of relocation.
“If we don’t implement the mandatory evacuation, many people will call me incompetent and cold-blooded and blame me for causing so many to lose their lives,” he told his largely Aborigine audience. “How can you not evacuate people when their lives are in danger? So I’m begging you, evacuate when it is necessary.”
PHOTO: AFP/MILITARY NEWS AGENCY
Ma said he respected that residents might hold differing opinions, but noted that he and other officials would be held responsible for failing to prevent a disaster and save their lives, adding that the government was duty bound to evacuate people when it detected a genuine danger.
An estimated 3,500 Morakot survivors are staying at the academy in Yanchao.
During Ma’s visit, some people yelled: “Stop the water diversion project immediately” and “Stop projects damaging the environment at once.”
Residents of Namasiya, one of the hardest-hit areas in Kaohisung County, have decided to relocated to a piece of land owned by the state-owned Taiwan Sugar Corp near the Shanlin Junior High School, but to continue farming in the mountains.
Ma said he respected their decision and he had asked the Executive Yuan and Ministry of Finance to study the possibility of acquiring the land. He emphasized that the purpose of the post-Morakot reconstruction program was to return their life and homes to normal and said relocation would not be mandatory.
He, however, voiced concern over the safety of working in the mountains, and urged them to listen to the opinions of experts on the feasibility of farming or other activities.
Responding to concern that relocations might jeopardize their culture, Ma said the government would not “wipe out” their villages and that the special reconstruction project law passed by the legislature last week respects the tradition, practices and cultures of the Aborigines.
Namasiya residents asked the government to speed up efforts to locate the bodies of 20 or so people still buried in the mud. They also invited Ma to attend a memorial service to mark the 40th day after the death of the loved ones.
Ma also sat down with typhoon victims in Fangshan Township (枋山), Pingtung County, to listen to their grievances. He promised to work with private organizations such as the Red Cross to disburse cash relief aid with a minimum of red tape so the application process for relief would be simplified. He said he believed the road to recovery would not be too long or difficult.
“I promise you that rehabilitation will not be too hard to achieve,” Ma said.
As of Saturday, confirmed fatalities from Morakot had reached 571, with 106 others listed as missing, the Central Emergency Operation Center said.
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