Lead image/ Chung Sheng-hsiung

Editor's note: In June last year, an excavator destroyed farmland in Dapu, a case still fresh in everyone's memory. To this day, expropriation cases across Taiwan have yet to stop, and dozens of rural villages and communities face forced expropriation. Civil society groups have proposed a draft amendment to the "Land Expropriation Act," demanding that it meet the prerequisites of public interest, necessity, proportionality, and full compensation for expropriation. However, on November 11, the Kuomintang legislative caucus already sent both the Executive Yuan version and the civil society version of the land expropriation amendment draft directly to a second reading, losing the opportunity for full discussion through transparent, open procedures in committee. The Legislative Yuan will begin cross-party negotiations on December 12, followed by a vote. Civil society groups including the Taiwan Rural Front, the Alliance for the Defense of Rural Villages, and the Land Justice Alliance consider this a failure of the government, and yesterday (December 7) held a press conference to put forward "Six Persistences," including "implementing the protection of prime farmland and maintaining national food security" and "establishing substantive standards for assessing public interest and necessity," in order to prevent reckless land expropriation. At the same time, they called on both the ruling and opposition parties to respond carefully to the people's demands at this critical moment and to properly deliberate the draft land expropriation act, and decided to return to Ketagalan Boulevard on December 12. To provide readers with full information, NewsMarket is publishing in full the civil society groups' press release demands, the December 12 action notice, and related media reports, and will continue to track the latest developments in the coming days. Please follow along with us.

In June last year, an excavator destroyed farmland in Dapu, causing Grandma Dapu to die with her grievances unredressed and stirring public outrage across the nation. To this day, expropriation cases across Taiwan are still multiplying, not diminishing, and even centenarians face forced relocation, unable to sleep peacefully day or night! Yet despite witnessing dozens of rural villages and communities subjected to forced expropriation, thousands of farmers sleeping overnight on Ketagalan Boulevard, and countless students roaring in unison, the Ma administration remains unmoved! The evil land expropriation law continues to bully the people at every moment! The Legislative Yuan's plenary session will adjourn on the 14th of this month, but the current government brazenly refused to communicate with the people, and on November 11 actually sent the draft amendment to the Land Expropriation Act, still under discussion, directly to a second reading and handed it over to cross-party negotiations, carrying out backroom politics. This anti-democratic move, tantamount to bullying the people, highlights the government's perfunctory and reckless conduct, and its evil practice of fake reform and real vote-buying before the general election. In response to this serious failure of the government, civil society groups including the Taiwan Rural Front, the Alliance for the Defense of Rural Villages, and the Land Justice Alliance, though furious, still uphold the greatest rationality and patience in putting forward "Six Persistences," calling on both the ruling and opposition parties to respond carefully to the people's demands at this critical moment and to properly deliberate the draft land expropriation act.

Hsu Shih-jung, a professor in the Department of Land Economics at National Chengchi University, said that the current reckless flood of expropriation cases has already aroused the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people. If these expropriation cases are carefully examined, most do not meet the prerequisites of public interest, necessity, and proportionality. The civil society version has planned a complete system for this, but the government, for its own interests and convenience, turns a blind eye to the people's opinions and has even put forward an absurd amendment draft. Does it really want to drive the people to a dead end and trigger a Taiwanese version of the Jasmine Revolution? Professor Lin Ying-yen, a heavyweight and well-known scholar in the land administration field, also attended to express his views, pointing out that the government had originally commissioned him to conduct research on the land expropriation system, and that he had referred to Japan's Land Expropriation Act and made a complete and detailed revision of the land expropriation system. Unexpectedly, once the researched bill entered the Executive Yuan, it was changed beyond recognition. The officials' laziness and contempt for the people have reached an unsurpassable level.

Chang Mu-tsun, a representative of the Alliance for the Defense of Rural Villages and a farmer from Wanbao, said that at present more than ten thousand hectares of farmland across Taiwan are being expropriated, affecting countless farmers. These farmers merely want to live and work in peace and contentment and to farm honestly. They never imagined that even such an ordinary hope would be taken away by the government. Chang Mu-tsun called on the government not to underestimate the power of farmers. If it remains so thuggish and tyrannical, the farmers' actions will only come wave after wave, each more intense than the last.

To satirize the government's amendment as new wine in old bottles, or the same soup with a changed dressing, the farmers on site also prepared several large bottles, inscribed with phrases such as "lacking justice," "profiting conglomerates," "reckless expropriation," and "land-grabbing and destroying farmers." They smashed them in public at the main gate of the Legislative Yuan, symbolizing the farmers' rejection of a reckless amendment that toys with and belittles the people. In addition, all the farmers and civil society groups present jointly issued a statement that they would return to Ketagalan Boulevard at 6:30 p.m. on December 12 to send the most severe roar at this government that treats the people's rights like dung! They will also invite the presidential candidates of the three parties to come in person to the site at Ketagalan Boulevard, demanding that they truly listen to the farmers' voices and engage in substantive dialogue with farmers, rather than merely shouting empty policy slogans and making the amendment an airy castle in the sky.

Key Demands:
1. The people stand up: Dozens of farmer representatives from expropriated areas, community residents, and heavyweight land administration scholars stand up, calling for careful and swift review of the land expropriation act!

2. Protest the Ma administration's betrayal of the people's trust, and call on a thousand farmers to return to Ketagalan Boulevard on December 12, 2011!

3. Critical moment, Six Persistences:

1. Implement the protection of prime farmland;
2. Establish substantive standards for assessing public interest and necessity;
3. Establish a substantive mechanism for public participation;
4. Implement the principle of full compensation;
5. Establish clear resettlement standards;
6. Correct the evil law of zone expropriation

At the press conference held by the Taiwan Rural Front and the Rural Alliance in front of the Legislative Yuan yesterday (December 7) afternoon, thanks to all friends' prior widespread sharing, in addition to the elders from self-rescue associations in various places, quite a few concerned friends and young people came to show support and cheer the farmers on together. On site, in addition to the heavyweight land administration scholar Professor Lin Ying-yen coming to voice support, farmer and youth representatives also prepared 4 glass bottles inscribed with "lacking justice," "profiting conglomerates," "reckless expropriation," and "land-grabbing and destroying farmers," satirizing the Executive Yuan version of the draft as "old bottles filled with new wine" and "the same soup with a changed dressing," and then the representatives smashed the glass bottles on the spot, symbolizing that they absolutely would not accept such trickery by the government! In addition, invitation letters to the presidential candidates of the three parties were also prepared, inviting them to come in person to Ketagalan Boulevard next Monday to actually meet farmers face to face, listen to farmers, and dialogue with farmers!

At 6:30 p.m. next Monday, December 12,thousands of farmers from across the country will gather at Ketagalan Boulevard, once again voicing the demand that "land justice brooks no compromise,"opposing land expropriation and demanding prime farmland!On the 13th and 14th,the Legislative Yuan will conduct a marathon bill review. Therefore, starting on the afternoon of the 13th,the Rural Front and farmers will continue to sit in at the main gate of the Legislative Yuan, monitoring the progress of the bill review inside,until the amendment result comes out or the session adjourns. We also invite all friends, if you have time,to come together to the Legislative Yuan to monitor the review!

Press Contacts:
Taiwan Rural Front Chen Ping-hsuan 0972-207-522 Tsai Pei-hui 0932-349-866
Department of Land Economics, National Chengchi University, Professor Hsu Shih-jung 0911-305-938

http://shuchuan7.blogspot.com/2011/12/12.html
Chu Shu-chuan Environmental Report: Land Expropriation Act amendment fails, farmers return to Ketagalan Boulevard on the 12th 

http://blog.yam.com/munch/article/36571863
Drifting Waves. Island munch: Official version of the land expropriation act draft–only compensation seen, no justice