President Ma: Stop Unjust Land Expropriation in Taiwan

Expropriation of land has been widespread in Asia in recent time. In name of development and urbanization, homes and farms of local people are destroyed in never-ending land grabs by governments and developers. On July 18^th this year, four homes in Dapu, Taiwan became the latest victims as they were torn down by the local government to make way for new urban development.

The case of Dapu has been the focus of a three-year long struggle by farmers and activists in Taiwan. Immediately after the demolition, protestors including students and supporters have followed President Ma, Vice-President and the Premier everywhere they appeared in public, even as they continued to ignore the protestors. In the face of growing unrest and support by other civic groups, the police and national security forces have begun to push back. Just last week, Prof. Shih-Jung Hsu was arrested and detained after he waved his hands at the President’s motorcade, suffering bruises to his arms. Students and supporters have also been expelled from protest sites.

Even though the homes in Dapu have been bulldozed, the movement against unjust land expropriation in Taiwan has just begun. Dapu is only one of many cases of local struggles against government and developers throughout the region. Support from the international community can stop the Taiwan government from further expropriation of people’s land and homes.

Please support the local communities and activists in Taiwan by signing on to this open letter to Taiwan President Ma Ying-Jeou.

See here for more information about the Dapu incident. Photos of the incident and continued protests.

Taiwan and Climate Change

Global Climate Campaign is an international coalition of environmental groups who annually hold an Global Day of Action on Climate. On the Global Day of Action on Climate, people around the world hold events to urge action on climate change.

For the past few years, Taiwanese environmental organizations have participated in Global Climate Campaign, holding marches urging the Taiwanese government to take action against climate change. While Taiwan is not a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, due to its exclusion from the United Nations, the country has committed to its own set of greehouse gas emissions targets. For more information, see http://unfccc.epa.gov.tw/unfccc/english/04_our_efforts/060_actions.html.

In addition, the two largest cities in Taiwan, Taipei and Kaohsiung have become members of Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), an association of municipal governments. As part of their commitment with ICLEI, the cities have analyzed the greenhouse gas emissions generated by activity within the city as well as comitted to climate change action plans. For more information, see http://www.iclei.org/.

For more information about the Taiwanese Climate Change movement, go to http://www.globalclimatecampaign.org/
index.phpcmd=Main.ShowCountry&id=49&lang=en#country49. In addition, check out this story on Taiwan’s position on climate change at http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx?StoryId=7676.

Support TEAN

Trans-Pacific Environmental Action Network welcomes donations to support its efforts. Your contributions are tax-deductable. Please make check payable to TEAN, and send it to TEAN, 6532B 34^th AVE NE, Seattle, WA 98115, USA.

CAMPAIGNS

Sustainable Electronics 

PacTEAN support efforts to combat the environmental impacts of the electronics industry. With technology advancing faster than ever, high-tech products such as computers, laptops, and MP3 players go from the factory to the home to the landfill faster than ever. Electronics manufacturing requires hundreds of toxic chemicals such as lead and mercury. Factory workers in electronics factory and recycling facilities are exposed to toxic exposure leading to cancer, birth defects, and other health problems. Those same toxic chemicals wind up poisoning our rivers, oceans, land, air, and groundwater once they are disposed of.

PacTEAN works in Asia and North America to improve consumer awareness, and manufacturing practices. For more information, please contact Lily Hsueh.

Climate Change

PacTEAN supports efforts to combat climate change. Energy consumption, especially in Asia, continues to rise, steering us closer towards irreversible climate change. Asian countries, such as Taiwan, with high rates of economic growth and similarly high increases in Greenhouse Gas emissions need to begin working alongside other countries to combat climate change.

PacTEAN supports international efforts such as Global Climate Campaign and Local Governments for Sustainability (www.iclei.org) to work for a global solution for climate change. For more information, please contact Mitchell Tsai.

Freshwater Ecosystems

The degradation of freshwater ecosystems and shortage of freshwater supply is one of the most daunting challenges in the 21^st century. We pollute freshwater bodies by discharging toxic wastewaters untreated and modify the physical characteristics in the name of flood defense, navigation, energy generation, or water supply. In so doing, we have mistreated and overexploited freshwater systems that they are losing the abilities to provide valuable ecosystems services that sustain the lives of human beings.

PacTEAN support efforts to protect and enhance our life-supporting freshwater ecosystems. For more information, please contact Kuei-hsien Liao.

Coastal Wetlands & Habitats

Coastal Wetlands in Asia are under threats from overdevelopment, pollutions, shoreline erosion, and other forms of environmental degradation. Since 1998, in partnership with SAVE International, TEAN worked with coastal communities and environmental organizations in Southwestern coast of Taiwan in actions to defeat the development of a major petrochemical and steel complex. Through local, national, and international advocacy and education, the actions have helped preserve the largest habitat for the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor) as well as one of the most productive fishing grounds in coastal Taiwan.

PacTEAN continues to support collaboration between local NGOs in Taiwan and likeminded groups overseas. For more information, please contact Jeff Hou.