Sat, Oct 03, 2009 page4

• FEATURE : 'Non-violent' rice bomber turns to organic farming

  • AFP
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  If there is such a thing as a non-violent bomber, farmer Yang Ju-men (楊儒門) seems to be exactly that.

  The boyish-looking 31-year-old planted 17 bombs in 2003 and 2004 to raise awareness of the plight of the agricultural sector, and his agenda remains very much the same — only now he pursues it by peaceful means.

  “The bombs were meant to attract attention, not to hurt anyone,” said Yang, who has turned into a practitioner and proponent of organic farming.

  

  Farmer Yang Ju-men, standing, conducts a workshop on organic farming in Chuwei, Taipei County, on July 19. Yang, known as the “rice bomber” for planting 17 bombs earlier this decade to raise awareness of the plight of farmers, has been promoting organic farming in his bid to boost Taiwan’s agriculture since his release from jail on a presidential pardon.

  PHOTO: AFP

  Back in 2002, after Taiwan’s entry into the WTO, he was known only as the “rice bomber.”

  Yang planted his small explosive devices — some made from old-fashioned gunpowder with a handful of rice thrown on top — in parks, telephone booths, commuter trains and public restrooms in the Taipei area.

  He says his aim was not to hurt and maim — only two bombs actually went off, and no one was injured — but to remind the public of the pressure local farmers were put under as membership of the trade body meant an influx of foreign rice.

  “I’d written to the media and politicians pleading not to join the WTO, but as a nobody I was ignored,” said Yang, who learned how to make bombs while doing compulsory military service.

  As a mystery bomber targeted in a massive manhunt, he became something of an anonymous hero to many farmers seeing their livelihood threatened by cheaper foreign imports.

  He eventually turned himself in, believing his message had been heard, and was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in jail for endangering public safety in a trial that saw farmers and social activists rally behind him.

  “I have no regrets. A person should only look forward,” he said.

  However, Yang said he did regret that much of the public attention was focused on him rather than broader agricultural issues, and he hoped to remedy this after his early release in 2007 on a presidential pardon.

  His objective is to promote organic farming, growing a small rice paddy in Taipei County and traveling frequently around the nation to give speeches or conduct workshops to advocate his ideals.

  “My life-time goal is to promote agriculture, help make farmers happy and farming villages prosper,” he said, as he led a ­workshop on organic farming on a hill dotted with vegetable patches on the outskirts of Taipei.

  “We cannot do things like the old generations who used pesticides and chemical fertilizers,” he said.

  “We have to use methods that are friendly and non-toxic to the environment so it is healthy for consumers and sustainable for the land. If we treat the land nicely it will repay us with good food,” he said.

  Organic agriculture was introduced to Taiwan around 1990 ­although as of late last year, the most recent data available, it accounted for less than 1 percent of total farm area, the government said.

  Yang has so far recruited 24 like-minded farmers to start a weekend market in Taipei for organic producers and interest is growing as he recently received 60 new applications.

  One of his recruits is software programmer Alex Lin, 38, who took up farming six months ago saying he was inspired by Yang’s goals.

  “Programming is stressful and exhausting, while farming is very rewarding and meaningful,” Lin said. “I feel content that I can do something good for myself and others by growing organic vegetables.”

  Lin still found his computer skills useful to help design on-line retail for the weekend market, which began this month to meet rising demand.

  Another encouraging sign for the future of agriculture is that more young people, weary of the stressful urban jungle, join farming in hopes of being near nature and living simpler lives, said Yang.

  “The current generation of farmers are already in their 60s and 70s and they can barely do their jobs. The whole farming sector could be gone in 10 years without new blood,” the former “rice bomber” said.
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