When asked by ITV correspondent, Ma Ying-jeou blamed the victims for not evacuating. In fact, the worst hit village, Hsiao-lin, did evacuate but the places they were supposed to go to in the evacuation plan were also affected by the flood and mudslides. So those who made to these places were still in great danger. As Hsiao-lin had been identified as one of the areas sensitive to floods and landslides, if the residents had been relocated by the government before, this tragedy could have been prevented.
Morakot's first scalp was a true scapegoat
During separate press conferences with local and foreign media on Tuesday, President Ma Ying-jeou announced that Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrew Hsia — who came under fire over a leaked memo ordering overseas missions to decline offers of aid in the wake of Typhoon Morakot — had tendered his resignation.
That Ma would make this information public implies that Hsia’s resignation has, for all intents and purposes, been accepted.
