A protester, right, and Commissioner Liu on placard |
The Miaoli City Hall has denied a group’s
application to stage a rally on Aug. 16 on grounds that it would ‘disturb’
nearby offices and schools
Having received what appears looks like a
carte blanche from the central government to do as he seems, Miaoli County
Commissioner Liu Cheng-hung (劉政鴻) still isn’t satisfied with demolishing people’s homes and
farmland, fining them, deploying police with assault rifles, and performing
what can only be explained as magic to “redistribute” high-value plots of land
to his close family members via a “lottery.” Warlord Liu is now directly
attacking people’s right to assemble.
Liu, who reportedly spent NT$16,000 of our
hard-earned money as taxpayers per night on hotels during a recent visit to
China, has gotten away with a lot of violations over the years, so much so that
people’s immediate reaction when local residents complain of abuse is to
counter with a “what did you expect, this is Miaoli.” But now, following a
first round of evictions and land grabs in 2010, and July 18’s demolition of
four homes in Dapu (大埔), a group of people, along with NGOs, are saying they’ve had
enough. Various protests were launched nationwide following the demolitions,
and a large rally, this one regrouping Dapu activists and other individuals who
have had their homes demolished by the state, will be held in Taipei on Aug.
18.
A “Youth League to Defend Miaoli” has also
been formed in response to the state’s unwillingness to stop the local
predations. Some of its activists successfully blocked a demolition earlier
this week (oh yes, Liu is insatiable). The League has also applied for a permit
from the Miaoli City Hall to hold a “Dismantle the government! Guardians of
Miaoli” (拆政府!守護苗栗晚會)
event on Aug. 16, starting at 6pm. But today the organizers were informed that
the government has turned down their request, saying the rally would disturb
nearby government offices, a library and cram schools. From 6pm, on A Friday.
Government offices. Right.
As the League wrote on its Facebook page
today, Liu has held several rowdy events at the same location over the years,
but somehow a peaceful protest would disturb the peace in the area. This
undoubtedly is an attempt by Liu to deny people’s right to assemble, and to
silence any opposition to his increasingly authoritarian deeds.
Needless to say, the organizers have
decided not to cancel the event. “You wait and see, Liu Cheng-hung!” the post
concludes. (Photo by the author)
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