Tue, Dec 31, 2013 page3
Police, aerotropolis protesters clash outside meeting
By Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter
Residents and activists against the Taoyuan Aerotropolis (桃園航空城) project clashed with the police outside the headquarters of the Construction and Planning Agency (CPA) in Taipei yesterday as they were refused admittance to a meeting that was to decide whether their land would be seized by the government.
Holding banners protesting against the Taoyuan Aerotropolis project while chanting slogans asking for the Urban Planning Review Committee to allow them to attend the meeting, local residents who are affected by the project and rights activists supporting them demonstrated outside the agency, as police officers formed a line to block them from entering the complex.
"This projectwill have a huge impact on our lives and properties. Why can't we attend the meeting?" a resident asked police officers, but received no response.
After a brief standoff, some demonstrators decided to climb over the wall of the complex, but their attempt failed when police officers held on to their feet, preventing them from moving.
A few minutes later, the committee finally allowed representatives of the protesters to attend the meeting, but they were only given a few minutes to talk and were then told to leave, triggering another wave of protests.
"Thousands of hectares of private land is to be seized to build a third runway for Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, but we really doubt the necessity of it with the declining numbers of passengers and flights using the airport," Chan Hsien-chang (詹憲章), spokesman for the Taoyuan Aerotropolis Self-Help Association, told the meeting.
"Even if it's absolutely necessary, do we really need to pick an option that would affect the largest number of residents?" Chan asked.
Chan went on to allege that the entire project is to benefit big corporations with connections in the government, as the second phase of the project involves the construction of commercial and industrial centers, while some local politicians are also proposing building a casino resort.
"The details of the project are yet to be drawn up and it is not due to start for another 20 years, so why the hurry to take our land?" Chan asked.
Deputy Minister of the Interior Hsiao Chia-chi (蕭家淇), who presided over the meeting, did not offer a response.
Soon after Chan and the other representatives had spoken, they were asked to leave.
Another protester, Pan Chung-cheng (潘忠政), refused to leave the building and was forcibly removed by police officers.
The committee approved the project at about noon, but the residents only learned about it hours later when they were asked to comment by reporters.
They vowed to continue their resistance to the project.
Breakup date a lucky number for lotto winner
LUCKY DATE: The man picked the 10th 'Super Red Envelope' in a lottery store in Taoyuan's Jhongli because he broke up with his girlfriend on Jan. 10 A man who recently broke up with his girlfriend won a NT$1 million (US$32,929) prize in the "NT$20 million Super Red Envelope" lottery after picking a card based on the date of their breakup, Taiwan Lottery Co said yesterday. The man, in his 20s, bought the 10th ticket at a lottery store in Taoyuan's Jhongli District (中壢), because he broke up with his girlfriend on Jan. 10, the store owner told the lottery company. The "Super Red Envelope" lottery was a limited offering by the company during the Lunar New Year holiday, which ended yesterday. The cards, which cost NT$2,000 each, came with