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【舆论】新加坡公民参与的“黑洞”

by 林殊
13/03/2020
in 公民社会, 时事, 环境, 社区, 舆论
Reading Time: 1 min read
0

作者:Kathy Xu

“想象一下,如果有人突然不停钻入你家的墙上,让你家出现一个洞,而你无法阻止它。你试着告诉他然后阻止,可是无论你说什么,似乎都听不进听不懂。钻洞的噪音和浑浊的水不断涌入充斥在你家,把其他比你更弱小的家也摧毁了。你顿时会感到无助,似乎没有人在意你说的话,也不理解或关心你,你的家人或其他不情愿的难民向你诉说恐惧。”

虽然以上情景只是一种比喻,但它却可能发生在建设跨岛线时,那些居住在中央集水区自然保护区边缘的弱小动物。

当我在2013年第一次听到有关计划要在中央集水区自然保护区建设跨岛线时,我感到无比担心。

作为一个自然爱好者,我担心这会影响了原始和次生林,还有野生动物。威尔森和我真的很开心能够看见一些环保团体如NUS Toddycats和Cicada Trees在麦里芝森林(MacRitchie forests)建设步行道,让更多人能够更照顾该地区。

我们也在2016年签署一份请愿书,对中央集水区自然保护区内的跨岛线建设工程提出上诉,并将其呈交至陆路交通管理局。

2013年至2019年间,麦里芝保护区不断引进自然步道,还组织了跨岛线工作组,让环保团体与住在中央集水区自然保护区边缘的居民参与闭门会议。

在数次的会议以及两个阶段的环境影响评估,同时也纳入了各种环保团体的意见,得出的好消息是,陆交局愿意听取环保团体的意见,两个环境影响评估工作皆采取了严格的缓解措施,如大幅度减少为中央集水区自然保护区土壤评估而要钻取的钻孔数量。

当然也传来了一些坏消息,首先,目前已确定了两种建设跨岛线方案,即从中央集水区自然保护区的下方通过或是环绕该地区建设,两种方案均称将对环境影响最小化,并非去讨论是否应该在中央集水区自然保护区建设跨岛线。

中央集水区自然保护区是国人瑰宝

其次,中央集水区自然保护区是属于每个新加坡人的瑰宝,而不仅仅是环保团体或居住在周围居民而已。它既有我国之肺,自然是有助于减轻我国的气候变化,对此为何没有其他新加坡人在这个问题上提出质询?

再者,如果我们允许我国自然保护区被开发一小段,意味着也为此打开一个窗口,即其他自然保护区也可以被一定程度上被开发,也有可能导致新加坡的绿色空间开始被削减。

最后,回到我一开始所描述的画面,我们总是为被边缘化的新加坡人争取权益,那我们是不是也应该为那些弱小边缘且无法开口争取权益的“新加坡同胞”反抗,他们没有发言权却会被建设深深影响。当然,在身处新加坡的穿山甲、豹猫和无数其他野生动物同胞们,难道他们的家园就该被破坏吗?

去年12月宣布跨岛线两方案

去年12月时,当局也宣布了跨岛线建设的两个方案,在中央集水区自然保护区下方和穿越该地区70米深处,并声称将对环境的影响最小化,并承诺在施工期间将严格执行缓解措施。

该决定仅仅通过两个群体,即环保团体与周边居民的参与就作出决定。公众何时被咨询,他们又可以在什么平台上为中央集水区自然保护区建设说话?

公民参与似乎在自称“民主”的新加坡下一直是个黑洞。数十年来,我们以“进步”的名义,在无提出任何咨询或考虑公众的情况下,失去了那个充满无数回忆和对社会或环境有益的空间。

公民凑钱建旧国家图书馆

我记得在十几岁时去当时还是以红砖墙为主的国家图书馆(后来我才了解到,这是人们捐款为社区建立图书馆),在这美丽的庭院沉浸在带给我知识的书籍,后来这栋楼也被拆除,建了一条毫无意义的隧道。这就是没有经过拼命为他凑钱的公众或是像我这样享受怀旧时刻带给我欢愉的人的咨询而建造的。

公民参与对于社会发展相当重要,它就是社会的代表,也体现最好的我们。若只将特定群体作为全民代表,它的决定也往往只能显示部分的民情,也无法达到真正的公民参与。

我们到底要是失去多少自然遗产,才能唤醒国民的意识,让我们站起来开辟更多的渠道,让我们的声音也能够被听见。

(如果你对中央集水区自然保护区建设有话要说,但无法找到平台发声,可以与CRL反映团队或寄电邮至[email protected] )

原文阅读在此

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