Lo Hsih Ming

Neighbourhood Chief in Sinjhuang

“Losheng is the result of a wrong policy. “

Issues

Is the decision making fair?

Protest
Losheng supporters request fair decision-making.

The study of civil society says that it’s impossible to make a good policy without full discussion with the citizens. Another rule of democracy says that the minority is subordinate to the majority. Taiwan has long made efforts to achieve democracy. Yet Losheng supporters claim that the Losheng case would be shameful to the country because of the malfunction of the bureaucratic systems.

The issues that the Losheng protesters have raised include the change of the metro terminal site to few people’s advantage, the construction bureau’s arrogant attitude, the authorities’ shift to avoid responsibility, the political parties’ concern for the elections, a lack of information disclosure and communication, and the suspicious profits of sand and stone on the site of Losheng.

The former Prime Minister Su Tseng-Chang, when still in office, once said that any great development always has its cost. The Vice President Lu Hsiu-Lien also questioned the residents of Losheng: “It takes lots of money if we need to change the metro construction plan. Are you going to take responsibility?”

DORTS
A government official answers the student's question.

Losheng supporters said that the officials’ words simply show their attitude. Head of Graduate School for Social Transformation Studies at Shih-Hsin University Huang Te-Bei also warns: “To justify the sacrifice, we should examine if a sacrifice of the same level can be found in a similar case. If not, then it’s injustice.”

The Public Construction Commission (PCC) is the bureau responsible for making a final decision on the protection of Losheng. In a statement, the chairman of the PCC Wu Ze-Cheng said they had come up with the best decision and considered it unfair if people accuse them of putting the construction first.

Related story :

Link: