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Longsheng Villagers Protest Kunyu Waste Landfill's Forced Entry Without Environmental Assessment, Undeterred by Threats

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Undeterred by Triad Threats and Lawsuits! Longsheng Villagers Protest Kunyu Waste Landfill's Forced Entry Without Environmental Assessment

By Yang Yuyun, staff reporter for NewsMarket, and Li Minkai, intern reporter

Kunyu Company forcibly set up a waste landfill in Longsheng Village, Miaoli, threatening the water supply for 500 hectares of farmland in the surrounding area. Residents have camped out overnight for several consecutive days to guard the land and prevent waste from entering, and they protest that the Miaoli County Government has turned a blind eye and disregarded residents' rights. Today (the 25th), nearly 100 villagers and several Miaoli county councilors gathered to travel north, submitting petitions at the Environmental Protection Administration, the Council of Agriculture, and the Executive Yuan respectively. The self-rescue association also put forward five major demands, calling on central government agencies to respond.

Lin Congmin, chairman of the Longsheng Community Development Association, said that the two visits to the Environmental Protection Administration could not be more different. Last time, the community came to receive a bronze award for a low-carbon sustainable homeland; this time, they came to protest waste polluting their homeland. He called on the competent authorities to protect the property rights, work rights, and survival rights of Longsheng villagers.

The Self-Rescue Association Against the Kunyu Industrial Waste Landfill brought a large batch of community awards to petition at the Executive Yuan. (Photo / Li Minkai)

Waste Landfill Resurrected: Villagers Fight Pollution Undaunted by Threats

The Kunyu waste landfill was a development project from 20 years ago. Because the site is only 300 meters from the irrigation reserve pond of Mingde Reservoir, it could affect 500 hectares of nearby farmland. In addition, Kunyu first developed 1.9 hectares to circumvent the regulation requiring an environmental assessment for 2 hectares, refused to communicate with Longsheng villagers, and even allowed triad members to intimidate and threaten people. These terrible actions led two successive Miaoli county magistrates to reject the project 4 times in total, and the license was ultimately revoked, putting the Kunyu case to rest.

However, at the end of last year, Kunyu restarted the development project. Its trial operation plan was submitted to the county government, and just ten days later, County Magistrate Hsu Yao-chang swiftly approved it, causing an uproar. Longsheng villagers formed a self-rescue association and, starting January 5, set up cooking stoves in front of Kunyu's gates, taking 24-hour shifts to block waste from entering the landfill.

According to the county government's approval document, among the 8,223 metric tons of waste Kunyu plans to bury are suspected toxic substances such as scrap metal and furnace slag. Moreover, the landfill has no protective facilities at all, with only a simple waterproof tarp laid at the bottom. The villagers' concerns are by no means unfounded. Chen Qingxin, chairman of the self-rescue association, remarked sarcastically that although Kunyu's burial plan and facilities have not changed in 20 years, its methods of threatening villagers have kept up with the times. "In the past, they used triads to threaten us; now they use lawsuits, filing charges against villagers for coercion and illegal occupation. But such tactics will only make us villagers more united. We will never yield to such despicable methods."

Chen Qingxin, chairman of the Self-Rescue Association Against the Kunyu Industrial Waste Landfill, said that in the face of unscrupulous companies and the county government, the villagers will never back down. (Photo_Li Minkai)

Villagers Accuse "Collusion Between Officials and Business"; Miaoli County Government Responds Coldly

The self-rescue association rented two tour buses to carry villagers north to "petition the emperor," and before departure first protested at the Miaoli County Government, questioning whether the county government was favoring the company by agreeing to the trial operation. Legislators from both the blue and green camps also voiced support for the villagers, pointing out that unless senior county government officials had given the order, the Environmental Protection Bureau would not dare to approve it at will.

The Miaoli County Government had Shen Fengtai, deputy director-general of the Environmental Protection Bureau, appear to accept the petition. He pointed out that Kunyu has currently only obtained trial operation qualification and that the entire case is still in the application process. He also stressed that the Environmental Protection Bureau's relevant actions are all legally grounded, but that it will also take residents' opinions into consideration for subsequent review. As for the self-rescue association's demand that the Environmental Protection Bureau reply within one week on whether Kunyu's trial operation permit can be revoked so residents can have peace of mind during the Lunar New Year, Shen Fengtai responded only with "administration according to law."

Two Generations Fight Pollution; No Way to Have a Good New Year This Year

The self-rescue association then traveled north, going respectively to the front gates of the Environmental Protection Administration, the Council of Agriculture, and the Executive Yuan, to let government officials hear the cries of Longsheng Community villagers!

Chen Qingxin, chairman of the self-rescue association, spoke first. He emotionally mentioned that his father was the chairman of the self-rescue association 20 years ago, and after his father passed away, he took up the burden. He lamented bitterly that Kunyu has tormented the villagers for 20 years and this year has made it impossible for everyone to have a good New Year. However, the united villagers will certainly resist with all their strength, and he also hopes that central government agencies will investigate and intervene to give the villagers justice.

Chen Wu Manyu, village chief of Longsheng Village, said that years ago the restaurant run by her family was broken into and set on fire by men in black, and she still feels lingering fear. But as village chief, she must speak for the people. She said she does not know much, but she is very clear that an industrial waste landfill will pollute the village and good farmland. She begged government officials to sympathize with the villagers' hard work in holding their ground and protesting, and to stop Kunyu's trial operation as soon as possible so villagers can have a good New Year.

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