Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/22 23:29:21
By: Flor Wang, Elaine Hou, Lu Tai-cheng

Taipei, Nov. 22 (CNA) The government will pay NT$2.55 billion (US$83.6 million) to Orchid Island

residents to compensate them for infringing on their rights by maintaining a nuclear waste storage facility there over the past five decades, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) announced Friday.

Tsai announced the compensation at a news conference in Taitung and hailed the move as reflecting the goal of the current government to pursue transitional justice for indigenous tribes based on fact-finding efforts.

"Evidence we collected showed that the then-government decided to build a nuke waste storage in reserved lands for the Yami people on Orchid Island without their previous knowledge or agreement," Tsai said.

She described the payment as a step toward compensating Orchid Island and its people, but said there was still a lot to do to "correct our past errors."    [FULL  STORY]