Stories

Taiwan Resident Uses Chinese Flag To Protest Home Demolition

by on Monday, May 30, 2011 76 comments comments

A Taipei, Taiwan resident places People's Republic of China flags in protest of inadequate compensation for eviction from and demolition of his home.

From NetEase:

Taiwan resident protests demolition by placing five-starred Chinese flag on roof

Summary: A few days ago, a Taiwan resident planted the Chinese five-starred flag on his roof after losing a legal dispute over demolition [of his property]. This resident claims Taiwan’s judiciary and administration “serve the bourgeoisie/capitalists”.

A Taipei, Taiwan resident places People's Republic of China flags in protest of inadequate compensation for eviction from and demolition of his home.A TVBS news report on a Taipei resident who has placed Communist China flags on his roof to protest the Taiwan government reclaiming and demolishing his home.

Video of a Taiwan news report:

A copy on YouTube:

Can’t see the above video?

In the video, it is explained that the land involved in Taipei city belongs to the government who now wants to reclaim it. The government wants to demolish the illegally constructed homes on the land and is offering 10k NTD per square meter as compensation. One resident “owner” has placed the five star red PRC flag as protest. A comparison is shown between the land prices on both sides of the street, where the newer building on the other side of the street is valued at 400-500k NTD per square meter, asking if the offered compensation is too low. Not all of the residents agree with the protest.

Comparison of property values in Taipei for buildings across the street from each other.

Comments from NetEase:

网易安徽省芜湖市网友:

Taiwan masses who do not know the truth!

网易江苏省常州市网友:

What a niu person.

网易湖北省随州市网友:

Taiwan brothers~~~ you don’t know the [real] situation for us in the mainland. If you had fallen on this side, you would’ve set yourself on fire or been killed in your sleep long ago!

网易上海市浦东新区网友:

He’s clearly mocking us!!!!!!!

网易四川省成都市网友:

It’s probably ridiculing the Taiwan’s administration as being the same as the current mainland government.

网易山东省潍坊市网友:

This century’s funniest joke!

网易广东省河源市手机网友:

What kind of person is this, only when he loses does he think of what the country should’ve done.

网易河北省保定市网友:

Compatriot, if you were in the mainland, not only would your house be torn down, even you would be torn asunder.

Comments from Tiexue:

gui555:

If he had seen the mainland’s violent forced demolitions, I bet he would immediately change to hanging the American flag.

jmtop:

Is it possible that he doesn’t know…?

Even hanging a portrait of Chairman Mao is no use… [against forced demolition]

czj0323:

So can those who are suffering forced demolitions in China raise the KMT’s Blue Sky with a White Sun flag?

bamboo4587:

Does he not watch China news? We’ve changed too!

inahuio:

Haha, this brother is making fun of the mainland, right?

外干中强:

It is expressing dissatisfaction with the administration, it doesn’t mean he is fond of the mainland!

A Taiwanese resident hangs People's Republic of China flags in protest of inadequate compensation for eviction and demolition of his home.

  • Choonage

    Chinese flags on Taiwanese soil is probably reality in a few years

    • Jones

      How many years, exactly?

    • http://mysticalmagicpages.blogspot.com/ Tommy

      Maybe in 50 years. Seeing as the mainland uses a currency bearing the picture of a leader who killed 70 million Chinese–the government on one side of the strait still has some catching up to do.

      I’m serious, I think they will join together in 50 years or so.

      • Skepticist

        not before the introduction of a multiparty democracy, I’m guessing. In that case, 50 years seems a bit short.

      • Sunshine

        Could you please add an “unintentionally” to the front of “killed”? At that time Mao was too old to know what’s going on anyway. If you really want to blame ONE particular person (seriously?) on the death of all those people, blame Jiang Qing.

        • PeterScriabin

          You were joking about “unintentionally”, right? Mao was too senile to instigate the GLF (1958-61) or the CR, not to mention the purges of the 50s and 60s?

          • 平凡人

            People die in civil war and political struggle, not only China. Only question is, how many?

          • Clancy

            How is it possible that the GLF wasn’t an accident. They mismanaged the food supplies on purpose because they wanted to starve millions of peasants?

        • Jones

          Any excuse, man. Any excuse out there. Grasp at those straws.

      • bob

        I keep hearing westerners harping on Mao “killing” millions of Chinese, as if you actually give a shit.

        • PeterScriabin

          Insightful, Bob (not cool any more?). Of course, we don’t giveashit. After all, they were only Chinese peasants and intellectuals, right?

        • Peter

          Bob, you don’t?

          • http://mykafkaesquelife.blogspot.com/ Tajpejčan

            Brothers, you have no idea what you’re talking about. I live in Taipei and we’re fine. We drink bubble tea and go to night markets, we have plenty of beautiful girls and scenic spots…

            T愛wan is awesome! T愛pei, too! I luv it!

            Come and see for yourself: http://si.tc/visittaipei

        • Jones

          Oh, bob, I generally don’t give a shit, but he still did cause the deaths of millions. I mean what we feel about it doesn’t change the fact. Get your panties out of their twist.

    • HubeiJames

      The Kuomintang flag isn’t a Chinese flag?

    • FYIADragoon

      And American boots on Chinese soil in 80, am i rite?

      • Hongjian

        I would rather see severed american heads on chinese communist flagpoles in 10 tbh.

        welp, americunts becoming international poorfags due to their shitty economic policy that cannot sustain their world domination tour, is fine too.

        • Jones

          We’re loaded, thanks to all those English lessons you paid for. Thanks, bro!

        • Sunshine

          “welp, americunts becoming international poorfags due to their shitty economic policy that cannot sustain their world domination tour, is fine too.”

          And this will take much less than 80 years too.

        • FYIADragoon

          >implying America can be defeated by Chinese military tech
          Their entire tech tree consists of countering America’s forces in the Pacific Theatre that are specifically in the vicinity of Taiwan. They’ll be crushed in any battle that isn’t for Taiwan.

          And brah, Americans will be poorfags in under 40 years unless Obama evolves into his Black Jesus form, and we have two more Bill Clinton level presidents. There’s a reason I already left the country to set up shop abroad. And its all the more reason for America to wage a war on the “eval ecanamic chinamen terrorists” .

          • bob

            The only war I’m aware of where China met head to head with American forces are 1. Korean war 2. Vietnam war

            And you know how both ended for the Americans…

            Check out this video why you ponder:
            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFoWCbQjwXw

          • Jones

            lol Bob, cool story.
            China didn’t do anything in the US/Vietnam war except build roads and send some supplies. Unless, of course, you’re talking about the 1979 fight with Vietnam where China lost around 7,000 or so in a month’s time and Vietnam still stuck it to their ol buddy Pol Pot. So many Chinese died in the Korean war and the US was just using WWII style weapons. Not even mentioning the Star Wars type shit they have today, the US has a world of experience all the way down to the grunt level. There’s 18 year olds with one year of service that have more combat experience than a majority of China’s military.

            The only problem with that obstacle course is that those Chinese soldiers would have been Predator Drone’d before they stepped foot on it.

          • TomTuttleFromTacoma

            “never get involved in a land war in Asia”

        • Adjutant

          How much of a 10 year old do you have to be to type like a retard outside of int?

    • PRC

      well said

      do u think they’ll surrender or fight till last man?

  • pengyou

    I wonder where he could buy these flags.

    • hanyucha

      Like it says in the article, Taiwan Province is capitalist, hence you can buy whatever you want. Now, finding a Taiwanese flag on the mainland might be a bit more challenging.

      • pengyou

        you can buy a bunch of KMT memorabilia in many flea markets in mainland China. Shouldn’t be hard to find a KMT flag.
        Also there are so many TV Soaps about the civil/anti-japanese war that I’m pretty sure there are more ROC flags on the PRC soil then in Taiwan.

  • hanyucha

    Sofaaaaaaaaaa!

    Yeah, China is Marxist, Taiwan (as part of China) is Leninist.

    My point? Both states are equally corrupt.

    • hanyucha

      “bourgeois capitalists”, should read, “bourgeois leninists”

      • Hongjian

        funny but true.

        The KMT, when it was ruled under Chiang, had good relationship with the soviet union in the 20′s and attempted to copy their leninist approach of nation-building. IIRC the KMT never gave up their leninist core-ideology in national development, even after they brawled with their own left wing, the CCP and fled to Taiwan.

        So, actually, they are anti-communist leninists.

    • http://mysticalmagicpages.blogspot.com/ Tommy

      What makes you say Taiwan is equally corrupt?

  • Chris N.

    So what is he trying to accomplish by putting Chinese flags on his property? Chairman Mao will fly from his grave and save him?

    • pengyou

      Obviously he is just protesting and seeks to advertise his case by being provocative.
      And it proves to work quite well.

      • http://encyclopediadramatica.com/China Elijah

        He’s protesting the forced demolition by saying that the Taiwanese government is acting like the chinese government. Which for any civilized country is pretty provocative and serious statement…

        But hey, at least I’ve finally found a valid reason for waving that flag…..

  • Alex

    I thought that he put it as an insult to the Taiwanese government

    • mark-majunji

      i agree, its a statement saying this is taiwan not china you should not be allowed to just kick us out of our homes like they do in the mainland.

      • JMB

        The way I understand it, the protester is squatting on Government owned land. If you’re living illegally on land that isn’t yours, don’t be surprised when you get kicked off it.

        • mark-majunji

          im 100% with you on this one, he is in the wrong.
          I can also see, what i think to be the point of putting the mainland flag up on the roof. one Chinese guy seemed to get it.
          quote: 网易上海市浦东新区网友:
          He’s clearly mocking us!!!!!!!

          yes he is mocking them saying this is taiwan this kind of thing shouldnt happen like it does in China.. although that is the statement it wont work becasue its not really the same because as you have already said JMB “living illegally on land” isnt the same issue as those who own the land in the mainland and get kicked out…

          bottom line his wrong he has no right to stay but he has the freedom to make a fuss about it if he so wishes..

          its very intresting to see the mainland chinese’ reaction to this.
          thanks Chinasmack for highlighting this story

        • Kong

          He is in the wrong legally, but then again he’s also the one struggling to get by, not the government. The “law” tends to overlook class differences.

          • staylost

            Would you rather the law was class based? That is why they the French revolted after all.

          • Kong

            All law is class-based because it ostensibly ignores class differences. If everyone is treated equally under the law, then those with fewer resources will always end up getting a shitty deal.

  • Anonanon

    I for one, welcome our new motherland overlords.

    • http://candosino.wordpress.com terroir

      I voted for Krang.

      • http://candosino.wordpress.com terroir

        …might have been Kados. What’s the diff?

  • http://www.lovelovechina.com Crystal

    Now his property is untouchable :)

    • Anonanon

      Because the land will be ravaged, plundered and razed to the point where not even a strand of grass will be able to grow on it for another 50 years

  • http://www.qq.com/1325279774 Kedafu

    Song of the Article

    Red Flag
    -Billy Talent

    wumaodang

    • Leo

      Cool song choice bro.

  • B-real

    Note 1: The news anchor is fine as fuck.
    Note 2: I bet the people who saw the flags flying were shitting their pants. I would freak out if I woke up and saw Mexican flags flying in this fashion. But then again no big deal.

    I get the message but with no due clause. The little guy always gets fucked but his shit was illegally built. 10k per square meter was a nice gesture and should be able to afford to build some more shit boxes somewhere. It would behove them (Gov) to just toss them out on their asses.

    Note 3: the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.

    • pengyou

      Most dwellers of illegal land in Taipei came from China with the KMT 60 years ago. They had no way to legally get a land on their own and came to Taiwan with nothing – so this practice was common and accepted. That’s why the topic isn’t as straightforward as you may think.

      • B-real

        Not disputing it either. Its 2011 now and they pretty much own the land so when it comes to Gov reclamation, like we have imminent destiny in the states and they low ball the owners on their houses and land (funny they use your money to kick you off your property). Squatting may have been accepted then but they offered money to get off their (gov) land its a sign that they were being lenient compared to the latter in China where it could have ended off much worse. Again im assuming these people can squat else where with the money they are given. Taipei isn’t that much developed as people think it is and there is plenty spots to set up shop before they come and get it back. They can alway use the money to I don’t know get a legal place so maybe they would get more money the next time this happens they have some leverage on the price? Im sure there is allot more to it.

        • TomTuttleFromTacoma

          You mean eminent domain.

          These people are not opposed to being moved, they are asking for more “compensation” since the market value of the new building is at least 40x of what they are being offered.

          • B-real

            I don’t know if you ever heard of property lines and zones and divisions of cities where if you go 1 foot over its another zone which could have higher property value. Like Beijing theres a sub division called Shunyi District which covers the area of the Beijing Capital airport, homes in that area are going for lets say 20k- 40k per square meter. The southern fence of the Airport is zoned off as Chaoyang District which covers massive amount of area in Beijing. The shit boxes in that area are well over 20 years old but share a market value 50k-80k. Just a few months ago they tore down the hell holes that were on the Shunyi side of the division wall. Which means they might be trying to expand either side for devolopment or throw in a buffer park.

            In Los Angeles its the same thing. Anything west of Fairfax Blvd is Culver City and have significantly different property values than it neighboring division Santa Monica east of that is Beverly Hills which OMG expensive even to rent, just North of that is Hollywood which can be fair but still on the High for certain non-hilled places.

            In Austin Texas anything on west side of the Interstate 35 is for the rich white folks and their College bound children property aint even for sale. On the east side used to where the blacks used to be but have some what moved further up North East where cheaper newer homes were built and now their old property has been inhabited by white folks that couldn’t make it in big cities like LA, NY and moved in with the Brothas and illegals because property their is extremely devalued ever since they shut the Airport down in that area.

            I can go on but my point is that there is a good reason for everything and these protesters have a legit gripe but an invalid one at most.

          • Breaking News!

            Spelling-bee runner-up objectifies woman, contradicts self, insults Taiwanese, snidely offers long-winded explanation for 40-fold difference in value without checking its applicability.

        • Anon

          “Imminent destiny?” Either get some coffee or go back to school.

        • B-real

          whoops wrongs words came to mind on that 1 folks glad I dont claim to be perfect.

          • Capt. WED

            LOL but you always get on people’s ass for being imperfect.

          • B-real

            Do I really, geez I should really re-evaluate my role in life. thanks for letting me know.

      • G$

        I watched the youtube version of the video, because the youku version wouldn’t work, was it the news anchor in the youku version that was fine as fuck? Because I have yet to see a news anchor who was fine as fuck in the video. Also her putonghua sounded super forced.

        • http://www.foarp.blogspot.com FOARP

          Nobody speaks putonghua in Taiwan, but plenty of Chinese speak guoyu, go figure.

        • B-real

          The Youku version is the 1 I was talking about. The youtube was too slow with fucking VPN im using

    • http://www.a@a.com The other guy

      Note 4: “Note 1″ instantly applies if person is caucasian.

  • http://www.makeyourownpheromones.com Michael Hughes

    So what? This is just stupid

  • Wago

    Am I the only one that got a laugh out of this? niu!

  • 平凡人

    No backbone, under normal circumstances, will they carry that flag?

  • ed chi

    Stupid Ass. His house was illegal in the first place. It’s amazing that the gov’t would give him any money. He should have gotten nothing.

    On the mainland, he would have no recourse.

  • http://unblockfacebookinchina.info/access-facebook-in-china Rod

    And so is the question all of China is facing right now. Destroy, traditional ways of living for improvements. But at what cost?

    On the other site, sure tradition is great, but a lot of times its based on outdated and unhealthy ways of living.

    Who’s right?

    The one with the money.

  • Suicidal tendency

    Now that he got the flag right, let’s send him the PRC’s forced demolition team!
    As an alternative, he can choose the massive truck accidentally rolling over his head while he was cleaning the street…

  • Gaz

    This is one of the first time that the comments on ChinaSmack are worse than the original Chinese comments.

  • pug_ster

    Another thing in common between the Mainland and Taiwan.

  • Chef Rocco

    Apparently the episode has been forgotten by most Taiwanese people. Right now most gentlemen in Taiwan are closely checking their dicks to see if they are shrinking into the bushes due to plasticizers, a really sad event…

  • FacePalms

    He is not mocking you but your govt. as well they deserve.

  • http://unblockfacebookinchina.info/access-facebook-in-china Rod

    Maybe he should set himself on fire…nah, that’s been done before.

  • Cleo

    The local yakuza should have one of their hookers plant the Japanese flag then. They’re petty and trivial that way.

  • HaakonKL

    I know this is an old story, but…
    I like how none of the commenters get that he’s comparing the Republic of China to the People’s Republic of China.

Personals @ chinaSMACK - Meet people, make friends, find lovers? Don't be so serious!»