PCT concerned about possible sale of public lands in East coast
Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong
Written by Lydia Ma
Some NGOs are describing the East Region Development Bill as the latest conspiracy between businessmen and lawmakers in an attempt to line up their own pockets at the expense of the environment.
About 20 different NGOs and their representatives opposed this new bill and staged an urgent press conference to discuss this bill with the public because its repercussions could include mass sale of government-owned lands.
PCT Church and Society Committee Secretary Huang Che-yen spoke on behalf of PCT during this press conference and underscored that about 87.9% of lands in Taitung were government-owned. If the county magistrate ever had the authority to sell these lands to private investors, the consequences could be disastrous.
Apparently, a majority of these lands either encompassed steep mountains or sea shores and most of them are categorized as “geologically sensitive” and “unstable” natural environments.
“We support development and progress,” Huang said. “But we’re opposed to this almost colonial-like way of partitioning the land in the name of progress or development alone.”
According to reports, negotiation between KMT and DPP parties collapsed before the third legislative reading of the bill. Nevertheless, opponents of the bill know that they must remain on guard because Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-Pyng vowed to continue negotiations on this matter at the next legislative session.
