wfn.org | TCN: PCT urges government to give flood victims a permanent place to reside

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>Taiwan Church News

>2999 Edition

>August 17~23, 2009

PCT urges government to give flood victims a permanent place to  reside

>Reported by Lin Yi-ying

>Written by Lydia Ma

Soon after the Ma administration accepted donations of prefab  housing units

from China and religious organizations began to assemble them for  Typhoon

Morakot flood victims, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian  Church in

Taiwan (PCT) called a press conference to urge the Ma  administration to provide

>victims with a permanent place to live.

During a press conference on August 14th, PCT leaders criticized  the Ma

administration for being slow to respond and assemble rescue and  relief efforts

and for turning down foreign aid. They also expressed their  commitment to stay in

disaster areas and participate in rescue and rebuilding efforts.

PCT General Assembly Moderator Leonard Lin assured Taiwanese  people of

God’s enduring love for Taiwan and also emphasized Taiwanese  people’s love

for their countrymen as evidenced in rescue efforts. He said he  was confident all

PCT local pastors, affiliated hospitals and organizations would be  more than

willing to participate in post-typhoon reconstruction efforts,  including providing

medical services such as counseling, so that they may keep company  with

>Typhoon victims.

In response to other religious organizations and Chinese officials  who have

suggested resettling victims using prefab housing units, Lin urged  the Ma

administration to give back to aborigines portions of lands the  country had

stripped from them in the past and suggested giving portions of  lands in safe

areas to aborigines willing to relocate away from dangerous areas  prone to

flooding. He suggested aborigines could take these lands instead  as their new

>place of residence.

Lin also urged the government to set up a special fund to help  aborigines rebuild

their homes and find a new place to call home permanently, so that  victims may

finally live in peace. This is also the least we can do to restore  justice to

aborigines for our past offences against them, said Lin.

As to whether President Ma’s administration declined foreign  aid because of pressure from China, Lin called into question Ma’s  competency, “Do we still need this “Taiwan Special  Administrative Region leader”?” asked Lin, referring to  President Ma. During the press conference, Deputy Moderator Lai  Hsien-chang read out loud the pastoral letter sent to all churches  concerning devastations brought by Typhoon Morakot.

Besides giving an update on rescue and relief efforts spearheaded  by Church and Society Committee, Indigenous Ministry Committee, and  local PCT churches, PCT General Secretary Andrew Chang also urged the Ma  administration to hear the heart-wrenching cries of the typhoon victims  and do more than relegate rescue efforts to local governments.

Chang pointed out even U.S. network CNN had picked up on President  Ma’s arrogance when visiting flood victims, and Ma’s attitude  during rescue efforts had reflected disdain for human life and for God.  By failing to treat victims as humans who deserve some level of dignity,  Ma revealed he lacked leadership qualities required of a president.

As CEO of all PCT rescue and relief efforts and as representative  of all PCT churches, Chang paid tribute to rescue workers who had  perished in the line of duty and hoped that government agencies would  look into these tragedies and get rid of old, worn-out rescue  equipments.

Chang also expressed gratitude on behalf of all PCT churches to  more than 30 churches and Christian organizations around the world that  had written letters expressing concern soon after the typhoon devastated  southern Taiwan.

PCT Associate General Secretary Lyim Hong-tiong, who also oversees  all PCT r

rescue and relief efforts, reported that besides creating Morakot  Assisting and Restoring Action Committee within the General Assembly,  PCT had also built 9 rescue stations in areas such as Taimali, Hsinyi  Township, Pingtung, South Bunun, Cishan Township, Alishan Township,  Nantou, Tainan, and more. It would also send medical teams from Mackay  Memorial, Changhua Christian, and Sinlau hospitals in the near future to  offer counseling services.

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