Legislators yesterday stated their displeasure with plans to demolish a military residence in Chingshui Township (
The Ministry of National Defense has been renovating its military residences -- which typically provide housing for dependants of permanent force members -- since 1980, demolishing old bases, constructing new ones and relocating military families.
But such actions may cause irreparable damage to military community culture, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tsai Chi-chang (
In addition, the renovations in Taichung County also threaten the Chungshe Relics (
Tsai said that the ministry and the National Property Bureau should immediately halt the renovations as well as the build-operate-transfer (BOT) project in the area in order to preserve local culture.
BOT projects are carried out after old houses in military residences have been torn down so that the land can be divided into smaller parcels and sold, Tsai said.
The land should be given to the Council for Cultural Affairs so that it can preserve the site, Tsai said, rather than risk the relics being destroyed by a contractor. The relics could also be used to promote tourism in Taichung, he added.
Hu Shu-hsien (
"The [military residences] are significant because they represent the threat of war and the hope of peace," Hu said.
Military culture should be preserved along with the Chungshe Relics to form a larger cultural area, she said.
DPP Legislator Lee Wen-chung (
Lee said that discussions would be held between legislators and the Council for Cultural Affairs next week, and that plans would be drawn up with the National Property Bureau before next month.
Tsai said that the Ministry of National Defense and the National Property Bureau would have to reach an agreement before the Council for Cultural Affairs could step in.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
RSS