Barrier lake disaster in Taiwan sparks heavy criticism of DPP

TAIPEI -- Torrential rains brought by Typhoon Ragasa caused the overflow of a barrier lake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan, leaving 17 dead, seven missing and 83 injured. In the wake of the disaster, the Democratic Progressive Party authorities have come under fire for engaging in political wrangling instead of focusing on relief efforts.

Although the barrier lake was formed as early as July during Typhoon Wipha, the DPP authorities failed to take effective measures, citing the so-called difficulty of operating in the mountainous area.

On Sept 22, in response to torrential rains brought by Typhoon Ragasa, the Hualien county government initiated an evacuation operation for residents in downstream areas, including Guangfu Township and Fenglin Township.

This operation, however, was reportedly hampered by a delayed notification: frontline disaster relief personnel posted on social media that they did not receive the directive to evacuate 8,000 people within 24 hours until the evening of Sept 21.

After the tragedy, leaked screenshots exposed an internal DPP social media group chat allegedly advocating to exploit crises for political attacks. Critics accused the DPP authorities of prioritizing partisan infighting and blame-shifting over disaster relief efforts.

"Is the disaster an opportunity for the DPP?" An editorial by Taiwan's United Daily News asked, pointing out that as the crisis caused by the overflow of water from the barrier lake remains unresolved, the DPP's repeated farcical show of buck-passing seems unbelievable.

Lai Ching-te also drew backlash during a visit to Hualien on Sept 25, when his offhand remarks to victims were criticized as lacking empathy.

Public dissatisfaction has been mounting. A recent online poll showed that about 80 percent of respondents believe that the DPP authorities should bear the greatest responsibility for the tragedy. A university professor on the island penned a letter to the media, explicitly asserting that while natural disasters are unavoidable, disaster-stricken areas should never be turned into political stages.

In stark contrast to the authorities' shirking of responsibilities, defamations and grandstanding, grassroots volunteer efforts have emerged as a source of comfort. In recent days, people from all over the island took their own shovels and other tools to the disaster-hit area for relief, creating a scene hailed as the "most beautiful scene" in this disaster relief operation.