Climate and Natural Disasters

Indigenous Communities Protest Gov't Response to Matai'an Flood One Year On

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By TaiwanPlus

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Representatives of Indigenous communities hit by deadly floods in Hualien are protesting the government response one year after a barrier lake burst its banks. They say water management works have started without landowners' consent and that the strategy needs to sustain community life rather than pressure people to leave their land.

Matai’an Disaster One Year On

REPORTER:  
Indigenous people hit by last year’s deadly barrier lake collapse in Hualien have gathered in Taipei to criticize the government’s handling of the aftermath.

O’ping (COORDINATOR FOR AFFECTED VILLAGES):  
Government ministries and the Hualien County government should come up with clear plans for land resettlement, agriculture, social welfare and local infrastructure.

REPORTER:  
Protesters say authorities have approached the matter in a way that pressures people to leave their land, and that work on some recovery projects started without landowners’ consent. They ask for a disaster response based on community consensus. They also seek a plan for the entire watershed involved in last year’s flooding. The Cabinet has invited community members to hold discussions on these issues.