Yuanli residents accuse government of incompetence over wind power project

Nine months ago on September 21, 2012, residents fighting the construction of a large-scale wind farm in Yuanli Township, Miaoli County, established a protest group. Local residents and students are demanding that the wind turbines are erected at a safe distance from the community and insisting that while the present dispute continues all building work should be halted.

However, the company involved (InfraVest Wind Power Co. (英華威集團)), has failed to heed the calls of protestors, and is using every possible means to forcibly push ahead with the project - a stance that has resulted in a loss of personal freedom and severely rough treatment for countless locals.

Moreover, the Bureau of Energy, Ministry of Economic Affairs, the government agency responsible for overseeing the project, has neither listened to public opinion nor forced InfraVest to halt building work, and is yet to even begin addressing the issue of safe distances between the wind turbines and people’s homes. Following recent protests at the Bureau of Energy, Yuanli Self-Help Group (苑裡反瘋車自救會) marched to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, where members submitted a petition and sang protest songs to express their frustration. Members of the self-help group said that they are fighting to save their homeland for generations to come, and will not relinquish the fight until all their demands are met.

Yuanli residents accuse government of incompetence over wind power project
URL:http://www.peopo.org/news/113447

(以下是中文對照)

無能政府 百姓命苦 苑裡反瘋車居民向能源局抗議並向經濟部陳情

照片

苗栗縣苑裡鎮民反對大型風車設立，自去年9月21日成立自救會抗爭至今已超過9個月。當地居民和聲援學生強力要求設置風力發電機應與民宅保持安全距離，現階段爭議期間業者應該立即停工，但業者英華威公司不但不接受，並強勢、粗暴的進駐施工下，造成民眾多次遭暴力對待，人身自由也慘遭剝奪。而權責機關經濟部能源局卻始終漠視民意，不願要求業者停工，也對風機與民宅安全距離問題的檢討修正推拖拉。自救會到能源局抗議，隨後並向經濟部陳情最後抗議民眾在經濟部前唱歌表達無奈的心聲，並且誓言為了捍衛鄉土和子孫幸福再來向高層不斷的陳情，直到訴求獲得圓滿解決為止。

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