Lukang Anti-Dupont Movement (Taiwan)
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Lukang anti-DuPont of a small town over an American chemical giant enhanced the morale of Taiwan’s nascent movement (Taiwan) environmentalism, which only began to flour- MING-SHO HO ish after the lifting of martial law in July 1987 (Ho forthcoming). Later, many Lukang Originating as a seaport in the eighteenth cen- activists participated in a number of environ- tury, Lukang is a commercial city and center of mental protests all over Taiwan, and thus were religious worship in central Taiwan (DeGlop- instrumental in spreading the technique of per 1995). In March 1986, local residents grassroots mobilization. Nien Hsi-lin, a for- launched a movement against the multina- mer schoolteacher, was the chief architect of tional DuPont company’s project to set up a the Lukang movement, which in turn propelled titanium dioxide plant. The investment was him into an uninterrupted career of activism for welcomed by government officials and viewed more than two decades. Basically, the Lukang as a major boost to stimulate the economy success consisted in the skillful mobilization out of a recent recession; however Lukang res- of local identity to frame the industrial invest- idents, who knew of the 1984 Bhopal tragedy ment as a threat to the traditional way of in India, were worried about the toxic hazard life. Local identity became a powerful weapon posed by another American chemical com- because the Kuomintang regime had sought to pany. Under the leadership of a newly elected eradicate indigenous culture and history in the city mayor, who ran on an anti-DuPont stance, name of Chinese nationalism. In addition, folk opponents organized the Changhua County religion in the form of communal worship of Nuisance Prevention Association and staged a a patron deity was also politically suppressed series of protests, including a local demonstra- for the sake of modernization. Since the local tion and a petition, in front of the presidential resentment against these attempts of state con- house in Taipei, which was unprecedented trol was endemic, the movement leaders were because Taiwan was still under the rule of able to use the famous slogan “I love Lukang martial law, which prohibited unauthorized and don’t want DuPont” to secure broad-based mass gatherings. Despite the media campaign participation by merchants, fishermen, and to showcase its safety commitment as well as an temple organizations. In other words, com- invited tour for local politicians to visit its US munity solidarity expressed in religious rituals facilities, DuPont failed to win the confidence was highlighted in the struggle against a poten- of the people of Lukang. In March 1987, the tial polluter, and this pattern of community company announced the decision to suspend mobilization was constantly repeated in the this controversial project. Upon receiving the subsequent environmental protests in Taiwan news, Lukang people celebrated their victory by (Ho 2005a). staging a religious festival to express their grat- The Lukang activists were also assisted by itude to their patron goddess, Mazu. Two years external allies. Though the Kuomintang still later, DuPont finally established their delayed exercised strong censorship on the media at plant in northern Taiwan (Reardon-Anderson that time, the Lukang story was largely reported 1992). in a positive fashion, thanks to a number of In hindsight, the Lukang protest played a environment-conscious journalists who also critical role in the history of Taiwan’s social acted as informal consultants. Liberal college movements. Though not the first incident of professors wrote sympathetic op-ed articles to anti-pollution protest, the unexpected victory urge moderation on the part of the government. The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social and Political Movements, Edited by David A. Snow, Donatella della Porta, Bert Klandermans, and Doug McAdam. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. DOI: 10.1002/9781405198431.wbespm332 2 lukang anti-dupont movement (taiwan) Due to the high visibility of the DuPont DuPont’s retreat, the Kuomintang government project, the embryonic student movement also stepped up the modernization of envi- broke loose from the confines of the college ronmental administration. The cabinet-level campus. During the 1986 summer vacation, Environmental Protection Agency was set up a contingent of National Taiwan University in August 1987, in a gesture to regain public students conducted a field investigation, and confidence. later published their findings to emphasize the prevalent local fear of toxic threat. SEE ALSO: Collective identity; Environmental Prior to the Lukang movement, Taiwan’s movements; Framing and social movements; environmentalism was mainly restricted to Political opportunity/political opportunity middle-class professionals whose effort was structure. concentrated on educating the public and officials. Afterwards, journalists and professors REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS were emboldened to work with the grassroots. DeGlopper, D.R. (1995) Lukang: Commerce and The Taiwan Environmental Protection Union, Community in a Chinese City. State University organized at the end of 1987, was the product of New York Press, Albany. of this cross-class collaboration. Ho, M. (2003) The politics of anti-nuclear protest The Lukang movement also brought about in Taiwan: A case of party-dependent move- political reverberations. At the end of 1986, ment (1980–2000). Modern Asian Studies 37(3), political opposition organized the Democratic 683–708. Progressive Party (DPP) for the Legislative Ho, M. (2005a) Protest as community revival: Folk Yuan election. The Lukang dispute convinced religion in a Taiwanese anti-pollution movement. the opposition leaders that they could challenge African and Asian Studies 4(3), 237–269. the Kuomintang effectively on environmental Ho, M. (2005b) Weakened state and social move- ment: The paradox of Taiwanese environmental issues. The fact that a DPP candidate, who politics after the power transfer. Journal of Con- capitalized on the anti-DuPont sentiment, temporary China 14, 339–352. scored a landslide in Lukang seemed to confirm Ho, M. (forthcoming) Environmental movement in this strategy. The young opposition party democratizing Taiwan (1980–2004): A political adopted a pro-environment platform which opportunity structure perspective. In: Broadbent, included the famous anti-nuclear clause. J. and Brockman, V. (eds), East Asian Social Move- Since then, the political alliance between ments. Springer, New York. environmentalists and the DPP has been Reardon-Anderson, J. (1992) Pollution, Politics and formed (Ho 2003) and persisted until the latter Foreign Investment in Taiwan: The Lukang Rebel- came into power in 2000 (Ho 2005b). Alerted lion. M.E. Sharpe, New York. by the widespread support for Lukang and.