The goal of this ppt is to answer how AKKPIM succeed in changing the policy of the Taiwanese government. The research was based on historical research and the application of social theories of Collective Action, Resource Mobilization and Political Opportunity. This paper has been presented at the 19th Annual Conference of the North American Taiwan Studies Association, June 21-22, 2013 at the University of California-Santa Barbara.

1. Taiwan’s Environmental
Movement: the Case of Anti-
Kuokuang Movement and
Anti-Nuclear Waste
Movement in Orchid Island
Hsiang Yuan Wu ( 吳象元 )
MA in China Studies, Jackson School,
University of Washington, Seattle
Source: http://4fun.tw/CcDv

4. I. Theoretical Frameworks

5. A. Mancur Olson's Theory of Collective Action
1) Each group coheres because of shared interests rather than
spontaneous cooperation.
2) The purpose of collective action is dominated by selective
incentive, based on deliberation of benefits, and the goal is to
achieve public good.
3) social movements are a process of rational choice, and it is the
decision made by individual consideration of cost and benefits.
4) Public good and free rider

6. B. Political opportunity theory
1) In Peter K. Eisinger’s definition, as political environments
changed, the social movement would bring about “political
opportunity.”
2) The political opportunity involves the nature of the chief
executive, the pattern of aldermanic election, the degree of
social disintegration, distribution of social skill and status.
3) Sidney Tarrow generalizes the political opportunity as the
degree of openness of polity, the stability of political
environment, the role of elite, the capacity of government’s
policymaking and whether there are support groups for social
movements.

7. C. Resource Mobilization Theory
1) In McCarthy and Zald’s argument, resources bring opportunities to let
participants take action, playing the role of building for each community a
platform to express their demands.
2) Money, facilities and labor/ Mobilizing supporters, transforming mass and
elite publics into sympathizers, and inter-organizational cooperation
/Communication media, levels of affluence, degree of access to institutional
centers, preexisting networks and occupational structure and growth as the
infrastructure for social movement to utilize.

8. II. Anti-Kuokuang Movement
（反國光石化運動）
from 2010 to 2012

9. A. Background
1) The Kuokuang Petrochemical Project (KKPP) was originally a large
investment development project proposed by the Kuokuang
Petrochemical Company ( 國光石化公司 ) in 2005.
2) During the administration of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in
2006, Premier Tseng-Chang Su ( 蘇貞昌 ) made KKPP become one of
the representative cases in the “Big Investment, Great Warmth” Project
( 大投資、大溫暖計畫 ).
3) It was originally expected to be built in the Offshore Industrial Zone at
Yunlin ( 雲 林 離 島 工 業 區 ). But because it did not meet standards
during environmental assessments, the government proposed it be
built in Da Chen village ( 大成鄉 ) at Chang Hua. And the KKPP became
a “National Major Investment Project” after the Kuomintang (KMT) won
the presidential election of 2008.

10. B. Conflict
1) Historical Background
2) Tie-Chih Chang, “Visit the Wetlands – the Notes of the Arts
and Cultural Community of Wetlands Travel”
3) Yu-Chen Liu, “Say a Few Words for Kuokuang Petrochemical
Project”

11. *Proposed area for Kuokuang Industry Project

12. C. Response of Taiwanese Government
1) 2010/7/10, Taiwan Premier Den-YihWu( 吳敦義 ) claimed
“white dolphins can turn away.”
2) 2011/4/23, President Ma declared Kuokuang industrial
plant had to be suspended.

13. III. Anti- Nuclear Waste
Movement in Orchid Island
since 1988

14. A. Background
In 1982, Taiwan Power Company (TPC) built a nuclear waste
plant to bury the first batch of nuclear in Orchid Island. It is a
smaller island off the east coast of Taiwan with 3000 residents,
and it is the habitat of Tau( 達 梧 ), which is one tribe of
aborigine
decent in Taiwan.

15. *Geographical Position of Orchid Island

16. B. Conflict
During ANWM, it experienced two major protests, one was
Held in 1988 and another was happened in 2012. Evaluating
These two protests, they both had not been the mainstream
voices to form enough force to impact on the Taiwanese
government.

17. C. Response of Taiwanese Government
1) Late 1980s
2) 2012
3) After the big scale of demonstration of Anti-Nuclear on March
9 of 2013 on March 19, Premier Yi- Hua Jiang( 江宜樺 )
expressed government feel guilt about the Orchid Island have
to bear the consequence of nuclear waste.

18. IV. Analysis

19. AKKM and Collective Action Theory
Public Good Selective Incentive Dilemma of Free Rider
Clean water and food Ensuring the safety of daily
meals
National food crisis
decrease the phenomenon
of free rider
Health Guarding hometown from
destruction of scenery
Better Environment Support from celebrities
Public Good Selective incentive Dilemma of Free Rider
Better Environment
and Health
Compensate payment and
material profit reduce the force
of residential mobilization in
Orchid Island
Off Taiwan decrease the
motivation to take action
ANWM and Collective Action Theory

20. Organization of AKKM
1) Role of leader: Cheng Wu ( 吳晟 )
2) Promoters: Arts Community and Organizations

21. Cooperated Organizations in AKKM
Laiho Culture Foundation& Museum( 賴和文教基金會 ), Oyster
Printing Life ( 王功蚵藝文化協會 ), The Union of Conservation of
Taiwan Sousa Chinensis( 台灣媽祖魚保育聯盟 ), The Fronts of
Taiwan Village ( 台灣農村陣線 ), The Society of Wildness ( 荒野保
護協會 ), Trail of Thousands of miles ( 千里步道 ), National Youth
Alliance Against Kuokuang Petrochemical Project ( 全國青年反國
光石化聯盟 ), Green Party ( 綠黨 ), Youth Synergy Taiwan
Foundation ( 青平台基金會 ), Alliance of Chang Hua
Environmental Protest ( 彰化環境保護聯盟 ), and Wild at Heart
Legal Defense Association ( 台灣蠻野心足生態協會 ).

22. Chronology of Arts and Community Activities
related to the Anti-Kuokuang Movement
Time Activity Place
2010/6/24 Cheng Wu read “All I Can Do Is to Write A Poem For
You” publicly.
Taipei
2010/09/11 The Arts and Cultural Society signs the petition against
the petrochemical industry in Chang Hua.
Taipei
2010/9/15 The Arts and Cultural Society held a news conference
entitled “The Arts and Cultural Society Against
Exploiting Antrochemical Industry in the Estuary of
Jhuoshuei River” （藝文界反對濁水溪口開發石化
業） in Legislative Yuan
Taipei
2010/11/13 First official street protest Taipei
2011/1/07 Wetland, Petrochemical, Island of the Imaginary
published.
Taipei

23. 2011/1/10 Cheng Wu read “The
Kingdom of
Smokestacks” publicly.
Taipei
2011/1/26 The Evening Party of the
Anti- Kuokuang
Petrochemical Project
Taipei
2011/3/9 Visiting the Wetlands Chang Hua
2011/4/21 Battle of the
Environmental
Protection
Administration
Taipei, Hsinchu( 新竹 ),
Chang Hua, Taichung
( 台中 ), Tainan ( 台南 ),
Kao Hsiung ( 高雄 )
2011/5/7 The Poetry Seminar and
concert of Guarding the
Wetlands-“Sing a song
for you.”
Taipei
2011/5/28 Day of Ho Lai ( 賴和 ) Chang Hua

26. Songs written for the Anti-Kuokuang Movement
Singer Song
Chih-Ning Wu Love You Whole-heartedly( 全心全意
的愛你 )
Sheng Chen Grandma is Mazuyu ( 阿嬤是媽祖魚 )
Ming-Chang Chen Sunshine hidden and cry in Jhuoshuei
River ( 濁水溪的日頭覕佇咧哮 )
Armed Youth of the Countryside Solemn Song of Seaside, The Song of
the White Dolphin( 白海豚之歌 )
Kou Chou Chin( 烤秋勤 ) Official Drives the people to revolt
( 官逼民反 )

27. Wetland, Petrochemical, Island of the Imaginary

29. AKKM and Resource Mobilization Theory
Mass media Publisher Social Network Academic Circle
China Times,
United Times,
Liberty Times
Wetland,
Petrochemical,
Island of the
Imaginary
FACEBOOK, Twitter,
PTT, Plurk, Blog
Academia Sinica

31. Political Opportunity
2009/11 2010.03 2010/7/7 2010/7/25
Phosgene leaked
in Sixth Naphtha,
Yulin County
Government
imposes a fine
and order shit
down
Poisonous
chemical
substances leaked
in Sixth Naphtha,
and being fine
Five million NT
(0.17 million US)
Sixth Naphtha’s
olefin factory
breaks out fire
Sixth Naphtha’s
Oil refinery have
Gas explosion
because of
petroleum leaked
Anti-Kuokuang
Movement(AKKM)
Anti- Nuclear waste
Movement in Orchid
Island (ANWM)
Mayoral and Presidential
Election during 2010-2011
After Anti-Nuclear
demonstration on March 9
2013, the political
environment created
opportunities for ANWM
Industrial Safety Incidents at Six Naphtha

34. Conclusion
social
capital
external
resources
political
opportunities creative tactics