Affrontement à Taïpei 臺北 – août 2010

Protest against Formosa Plastics leads to clashes

focustaiwan.tw

2010/08/17

Taipei, Aug 17 (CNA) Clashes erupted between protesters and the police Tuesday morning when thousands of angry local residents blocked all three major roads leading to the Formosa Plastic Group’s (FPG) petrochemical complex in Yunlin County after compensation talks broke down the previous day.

Using blow horns and loud speakers, the angry crowd laid siege to the complex, demanding that the conglomerate pay residents NT$1.8 billion (US$53 million) for polluting the area and harming their health and promise to relocate later this decade.

Close to 1,000 police and at least three prosecutors were dispatched to the scene in an effort to clear the way for complex employees and keep watch against any illegal activities.

According to local reports, seven people were arrested by 10 a.m. for ramming through police lines. Police said the demonstration violated the Assembly and Parade Act because the organizer did not obtain prior approval from authorities to hold the protest.

On Monday, the third round of compensation talks ended in acrimony when the plastic giant refused to agree to the residents’ demand for a NT$1.8 billion compensation package.

Wang Chang, the FPG representative, said the demand was unacceptable and the company has already reached its maximum by offering NT$500 million in overall compensation.

The group also agreed to subsidize a forestation project of up to 2,600 hectares to help curb carbon emissions.

The talks came after a huge fire on July 25 which set one of the complex’s oil refining plants ablaze, the second fire at the complex in three weeks.

Residents of Mailiao Township where the complex is located and of other nearby villages accused the plant of having poor safety precautions and of neglecting the potential health risks for people living near the facility.

The residents, mainly farmers and fishermen, have formed self-help groups and demanded that the plant shut down immediately until a more thorough health risk and safety assessment has been conducted.