The Ministry of the Interior should immediately reject rezoning plans for New Taipei City’s Sinjhuang District (新莊) for failing to take into account local opposition, residents of the Wenzaizun (塭仔圳) area said yesterday, adding that the plans would lead to widespread unemployment and homelessness.
Several hundred people gathered outside of the ministry offices, shouting slogans and demanding housing and work rights.
“The ministry cannot let the plans go into effect without reaching a consensus with us — city planning is not supposed to leave people homeless and unemployed,” Wenzaizun Self-Help Association head Chiu Shu-wen (邱淑雯) said through tears, demanding that the ministry reject the plan and demand that the New Taipei City Government lay out specific plans for where demolished factories would be relocated to.
Photo: Lee Hsin-fang, Taipei Times
Resident Ye Chien-zhong (葉建忠) said that government plans would force at least 113 households out of the area, because they would lose their homes, but would not be given enough compensation to purchase another house.
“We demand the right for legal residents to preserve their homes, but the city government has refused to give any promises, only saying it would make adjustments to individual cases after the plans go into effect,” he said.
Activist Wu Chun-chi (吳俊奇) said that the plans should be rejected on the grounds that the government failed to take residents’ views into consideration and refused to make adjustments to its plans in response to protests.
“Everything is becoming more and more urgent now because we are already in the review phase of the rezoning plans — if they pass review, they will go into effect,” Taiwan Anti-Forced Eviction Alliance member Jia Bo-kai (賈伯楷) said.
Jia added that the plans were unrealistic and failed to consider thousands of workers who would be left unemployed after factories are demolished, while building large residential complexes when neighboring districts have a housing glut.
Department of Land Administration Deputy Director Shih Ming-tzu (施明賜) said that activists could send several representatives to a review meeting next week with local government officials, but declined to promise the plans would be rejected.
Shih’s remarks drew ire from the protesters, who pushed against police officers escorting Shih into the ministry.
Activists later plastered the ministry’s gates with printed slogans.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
RSS