“Officials agree: No state of emergency”!?
After more than 10 days of terror by the “Middle Typhoon Marakot”, the cabinet and legislative officials in Taiwan said that everything needed to deal with the disaster are already covered in the Disaster prevention and Protection Act! Many rivers are still running angry muddy water and villages lost in mud and gravels, live stocks no longer alive but rotting in piles, Many people are still uncounted and feared already lost. Pockets of survivors await to be rescued and needing things to fill their bellies, yet those KMT (Chinese Nationalist Party) officials of the Republic of China in Taiwan agree and say that there is “no state of emergency” ! Actually, this is an excuse for their less than halfhearted way of dealing with the emergent situation this time even the disaster has not yet ceased.
At 921 (September 21th) Earthquake a decade ago, a State of Emergency was declared and the military threw all its strengths into rescue and rehabilitation with out any excuse. This time, the President who is the Supreme Commander of the Military Forces, was calmly enjoying himself at a wedding feast on the 88 Day. Yesterday the Minister of Defense and his staffs say that some “necessary procedures must be followed” before they can move the Forces.
Last year, when there was disastrous earthquake in the far away western region of China, Ma quickly acted and his wife sat many days at phone-side and lead in aid fund raising. But so far no one sees her doing any thing. Taiwan gave a total of 58 billion to China then, but this time, China after talk with the KMT agreed to give Taiwan ,6 billion for relief work via Red Cross which president in Taiwan is the First-Lady, it is reported today.
A few days ago, the USA and Japan offered relief aids for the emergent needs after Marakot struck, Mr. Ma reclined by saying that there is “No Emergency”! People are at lost fathoming Ma’s mind. An angry Vice-Chancellor of a National University in Tainan said that the Presidential Office Building must sank in water before a state of emergency could be declared!