A 73-year-old man was arrested for allegedly starting fires in two Taipei MRT bathrooms yesterday to draw attention to his repeated petitions to be excluded from a redevelopment.
The man, surnamed Zeng (曾), owns land in an area that is being redeveloped in Taichung’s Shengang District (神岡).
He and several other landowners who do not want to participate in the redevelopment have repeatedly petitioned the authorities without success.
Photo copied by Wang Kuan-jen, Taipei Times
Zeng traveled from Taichung to Taipei yesterday morning and allegedly lit a fire in the men’s bathroom in Daan Station at about 11am yesterday, police said, adding that he had used straw and a lighter.
He then traveled to Taipei Main Station via bus and dropped off four petition letters at Taiwan Railway Corp’s office building, they said.
Next, he walked to Ximending (西門町), where he bought a rice ball and changed clothes, police said.
From Ximen Station, Zeng took the metro to Shandao Temple Station, where he allegedly lit another fire in the men’s bathroom, they said.
Once police determined that the first fire was arson, they identified Zeng as the suspect and tracked him to Taipei Main Station, they said.
About 10 minutes after the second fire, they spotted Zeng near the intersection of Linsen S Road and Renai Road, police said, adding that they were able to identify him through his backpack and shoes, although he had changed his clothes.
Zeng and several other landowners who oppose having their land redeveloped have pursued their cause through petitions, protests and lawsuits since 2014.
Believing their efforts have gone unnoticed, Zeng allegedly came to Taipei and committed arson to draw attention to this issue, sources said.
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