An alliance composed of community colleges, social organizations and residents of New Taipei City’s (新北市) Linkou District (林口) yesterday launched a petition against the city’s plan to set up an athletes’ village at Linkou Athletic Park, saying it could damage the ecosystem.
The Taipei City Government in December won the right to host the 2017 Summer Universiade. It said it decided to use the Linkou Athletic Park after discussions with the New Taipei City Government.
However, according to Chang Fan (張璠), an official with New Taipei City’s Urban and Rural Development Department, the Linkou Athletic Park belongs to the central government and the city government does not have the last say in how it is used.
Photo: Tsai Pai-ling, Taipei Times
The New Taipei City Government will definitely side with the residents and convey their wishes to the central government, Chang said, adding that the construction plans for the athletes’ village have not yet been determined and it would try to create a “win-win” situation for both residents and the central government.
Wang Chen-nai (王貞乃), a member of the alliance named the “Referendum to Save the Park Alliance,” said the planned athletes’ village is a large-scale development project, but the process for selecting the site or plans for construction have not been made transparent.
It has even misled people into thinking that construction of the athletes’ village would pose minimal damage to the surrounding natural environment, Wang said.
Wang said the petition has so far received 4,000 signatures. Once it has gathered 10,000 signatures, the group would forward the petition to the New Taipei City Government and it is hoped to immediately halt the development of the athletes’ village.
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff writer
MONITORED BY JETS: Chinese aircraft included Y-20 aerial refueling aircraft, suggesting that China refueled its short-range jets during flight The air force scrambled again yesterday to warn away 27 Chinese aircraft that entered its air defense identification zone (ADIZ), the Ministry of National Defense said, the latest increase in tensions across the sensitive Taiwan Strait. Taiwan has complained for a year or more of repeated missions by China’s air force near the nation, often in the southwestern part of its ADIZ, close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). Over a four-day period beginning on Oct. 1, when China marked its national day, Taiwan said that nearly 150 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) military aircraft entered its ADIZ, not territorial
The boyfriend of Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kao Chia-yu (高嘉瑜) was yesterday questioned by prosecutors after Kao on Tuesday reported that he had abused her. Raphael Lin (林秉樞) was taken in for questioning at the Grand Forward Hotel in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋) yesterday morning, and police confiscated his mobile phone, iPad and a data storage device, prosecutors said, adding that they have applied to place Lin in judicial detention. Lin, who does not reside at his registered address, might attempt to flee or tamper with evidence, they said, adding that he has allegedly threatened victims in earlier abuse cases
PAST CATCHING UP: Raphael Lin was last year convicted of intimidating his girlfriend at the time, and in 2015 allegedly confined his parents and assaulted his mother Doctoral student and media commentator Raphael Lin (林秉樞) is in detention and has had his communication rights limited after he was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly subjecting Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kao Chia-yu (高嘉瑜) to two days of violence in a hotel room, the New Taipei District Court said yesterday. The New Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office had filed a request to detain Lin — who was Kao’s boyfriend at the time of the incident — with the court approving the request early yesterday. The prosecutors’ office said that it is likely to charge Lin with seven offenses: assault causing bodily harm, violating
Italian Representative to Taiwan Davide Giglio has praised the nation as a “silent giant” of the global supply chain, saying he is looking forward to establishing closer cooperation with Taiwan’s world-leading semiconductor sector. “Taiwan’s role in global production chains has largely gone unnoticed until recently. This may have to do with the fact that Taiwanese companies do not always enjoy strong brand power,” Giglio said in an interview with the Central News Agency. However, a global chip shortage has brought to light Taiwan’s strength in such a strategically important sector, he said. Italy, a leader in the automotive sector, was quick to realize
RSS