【双语阅读】台风导致台湾三位内阁官员请辞

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英国《金融时报》邝彦晖(Robin Kwong)台北报道 2009-08-20

Taiwan dispute grows over typhoon relief

Taiwan's defence minister offered to resign yesterday amid criticism that the army mobilised too slowly after Typhoon Morakot triggered flooding and mudslides that killed an estimated 500 people.

Chen Chao-min is the third cabinet official to offer to quit in the past two days as the political fallout from one of Taiwan's worst natural disasters in recent years spreads. Some 11,000 people remain stranded in the mountains without water or electricity, 11 days after the storm pounded the island.

Liu Chao-shiuan, premier, said yesterday that the resignations of Mr Chen, Hsieh Hsiang-chuan, cabinet secretary-general, and Andrew Hsia, vice-foreign minister, would not be accepted as “the important thing is to fully focus on the task in front of us”, though he promised “a comprehensive review” of the cabinet by early September, including his own position. Mr Hsia came under fire for issuing a letter declining foreign aid shortly after the typhoon hit.

Ma Ying-jeou, president, travelled yesterday for the first time to Hsiao Lin, where hundreds are missing and feared dead after a mudslide buried the village. “I came too late,” a contrite Mr Ma told survivors. The president apologised on Tuesday for the handling of relief efforts. He said the military should now make disaster search and rescue its main mission.

The government has stepped up relief and reconstruction efforts in a bid to restore public trust. Mr Liu said yesterday that he hoped 80 per cent of the T$2.7bn ($82m,


台风导致台湾三位内阁官员请辞

因被指责在台风“莫拉克”来袭后动员军队太慢，台湾国防部长陈肇敏昨日提出辞职。据估计，这次台风引发的水灾和泥石流约造成500人丧生。

随着“莫拉克”引发的政治风暴扩散，陈肇敏成为过去两天请辞的第三位内阁成员。莫拉克是台湾近年来遭遇的最严重自然灾害之一。距台风登陆已过去11天，目前仍有1.1万人被困在山区，没水没电。

行政院院长刘兆玄昨日表示，不会接受陈肇敏、行政院秘书长薛香川以及外交部次长夏立言等人的辞职，因为目前“重要的是全力应对摆在我们面前的任务”，但他承诺，9月初将对内阁进行“一次全面审查”，包括他自己在内。夏立言因在台风来袭后不久签发了一封拒绝外援的信件而饱受抨击。

台湾总统马英九昨日首度前往灾区小林村探视。小林村已被泥石流掩埋，有数百人失踪，恐已遇难。“我来晚了，”马英九悔恨地对幸存者表示。马英九周二就救援工作进行道歉。他表示，军队目前应把灾区搜救作为主要任务。

政府已加紧展开救援和重建工作，以图挽回民众的信任。刘兆玄昨日表示，希望政府27亿元新台币（合8200万美元）的救灾资金在一周内能够下发80%。他同时表示，90%的救援工作已经完成。


译者/岱嵩