The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) yesterday dismissed the possibility of the government suspending all planned land seizures before relevant laws are amended.
Vice Minister of the Interior Lin Tsyr-ling (林慈玲) told reporters at the Executive Yuan after Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) met with a number of academics and farmers’ representatives in the morning, that the academics had suggested the government halt all farmland acquisition projects and drop the plan to take over farmland in Dapu Borough (大埔), Jhunan Township (竹南), Miaoli County, before the Land Expropriation Act (土地徵收條例) is amended.
“It is impossible for the government to stop all land expropriation,” Lin said, adding that most of the government’s farmland acquisition projects were in the public’s interests and for public construction work.
“Only a few are projects to develop specific areas,” she said, adding that Wu had instructed government agencies to fully respect the voices of those who oppose the projects.
Wu said that national interest, natural resources and food security should all be taken into consideration in any development project, Lin said.
Wu invited academics and farmers to the Executive Yuan on Monday night and yesterday to listen to their views on farmland policy and to mediate between Miaoli County Commissioner Liu Cheng-hung (劉政鴻) and farmers over the Dapu expropriation.
The Miaoli County Government sent in excavators — with police escorts — to dig up rice paddies in Dapu last month.
Photographs and video clips of the demolitions in Dapu spread quickly on the Internet and in the media, shocking the public and finally placing a spotlight on the farmers’ years of campaigning against land expropriation.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) told reporters later yesterday she was concerned about the impact of the controversy on the party’s outlook in the November special municipality elections.
She said about 8 million Netizens had joined an online campaign to support the farmers.
Lo said the Miaoli commissioner had made a “huge” mistake in failing to consider farmers’ interests.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or