Hetao Innovation and Technology Park｜The government reserves 220,000 yuan for compensation for young crops, farmers accused of illegal farming without compensation

01 Investigation

Written by: He Jinkang Lao Xianliang

2021-01-18 07:05

Last update date: 2021-01-18 07:05

In the early years, the government straightened the Shenzhen River and included the Loop on the Lok Ma Chau border into Hong Kong. As early as 2007, the Hong Kong government stated that it would develop the Loop into a Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park.

The establishment members were suspected of being unfamiliar with the procedures of the Legislative Council. At the beginning of this month, the Finance Committee approved 14.3 billion yuan for the Loop Project without any official explanation.

This border area is inaccessible, but it used to have farmland and fish ponds. Farmer Ye Chongguang has been farming and raising fish on the government official land in the Loop for more than 20 years. In 2009, the government built a border fence in the Loop. Some of his crops were damaged. Received 35,000 yuan in compensation the following year.

According to the records of the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council, although the government reserved 220,000 yuan for "green crop compensation", the Lands Department said that Ye Chongguang was warned early in the morning to stop occupying official land. Therefore, this time the Loop "changed", he received no compensation at all. He described "there is no way to complain, there is no way to complain."

▼Hetao aerial photography▼

Straighten the Shenzhen River in the early years and obtain land. Gazetted in 2017 to develop the Science and Technology Park

The Loop District on the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border occupies an area of ​​87 hectares. After the Shenzhen River Straightening Project in 1997, it was included in Hong Kong under the Basic Law.

As early as in the 2007 Policy Address, the Hong Kong government planned to build the Loop Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park. It was not until 2017 that the two governments reached an agreement to jointly develop the science and technology park, officially confirming that the land belongs to Hong Kong.

▼Hetao historical pictures▼

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In the same year, the Hong Kong government gazetted the development of an innovation and technology park, and the decontamination and preliminary works were carried out in 2018. Carrie Lam's 2020 policy address also emphasized the development of a technology park with "one river, two banks" and "one district, two parks".

On January 8 this year, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved the first phase of the main project and fire rescue facilities for the development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop, a total of 14.35 billion yuan.

After the democrats resigned, there was no official explanation for the funding. Even the DAB members questioned it. In the end, the chairman of the Finance Committee, Chen Jianbo, explained that the members "may not be familiar with the procedure."

Hetao has cultivated fish for nearly twenty years

"I am a villager here, and the cattle I raise are inside." Farmer Ye Chongguang told the contractor staff stationed in the Hetao District. He hoped to be allowed to enter the Hetao District to feed the scalpers that had been farmed for many years, but was refused.

The 73-year-old Ye Chongguang has lived in Lok Ma Chau for three generations. In the early 1990s, he and his wife farmed and raised fish near the Loop. After the Loop was placed under the jurisdiction of Hong Kong in 1997, he entered the region to cultivate and harvest the fish after harvest. They were sold wholesale in Yuen Long, and they were finally able to support the family.

When Ye Chongguang first started farming, he knew that the Hetao District belonged to government land. However, he said that no one stopped or warned that many farmers were not obstructed in farming on the government land, so he started farming with the mentality of "helping the government to make greening". Come and live in peace.

Ye Chongguang also showed reporters the old photos of the past. In the middle of the photo, Ye and his wife were farming and raising fish in the Hetao area. According to the photos, different varieties of crops such as banana trees, Leucaena leucocephala and Wedelia chrysanthemum have been seen. The figure immersed in the fish pond, as well as a photo of him with the cattle and the dog in the field.

However, since the government started the construction in the Loop in June 2018, bulldozers have not only shoveled Ye Chongguang’s vegetable fields and filled his fish ponds, but the contractor has also forbidden him to set foot in the Loop. Only Ye Chongguang said to call the police. Only allowed to enter the zone several times.

Now Ye has only a few scalpers "stayed" in the Hetao area, eating weeds to fend for themselves. Now Ye has to run to the nearby hills and look at the old farmland with a binoculars. Occasionally, he can see the scalpers in the bare land among the bushes. Trace.

According to one of Ye's photos, he had erected a notice in the Hetao area that year, stating that "the Huashu fish pond in the Hetu (tao) area is owned by the farmer Yewusheng" and his mobile phone number was attached.

Ye, who has not read much, said that he thought that by putting up a notice, he could avoid demolition. However, the notice board and farmland are now a pile of dead wood.

▼2010 Compensation Document▼

Compensation for farming of crops damaged by border fences

By 2009, the government built a "border fence" on the border of the Loop and roads within the Hong Kong border, and compensated Ye Chongguang over 35,000 yuan the following year for damage to farmland and fish ponds.

However, this time when the government develops the Loop, the farmland and fish ponds are bound to "change the sky," but Ye Chongguang has no compensation.

In 2017, the Lands Department sent a letter to Ye Chongguang, stating that a staff member of the Yuen Long Lands Office had visited the Loop and learned that Ye had planted lychee, silver chrysanthemum, and Wedelia chrysanthemum there. However, this time he did not compensate him, but directly He alleged that Ye had violated the Land (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance by appraising or reclaiming government land without approval, and warned him that he was sentenced to six months in prison and a fine of 500,000 yuan upon conviction.

In 2009, the government built a "border fence" at the border of the Loop, and built a road between the two sections of fence.

(Photo by Liang Pengwei)

Ye Chongguang said that he understands that the government has the right to use the land, and he has no intention of entanglement with the government on land ownership. He only feels that since the government had compensation when it built the "border fence" back then, why there is not a single dollar now: "Since you If you lose money to me, you should agree that I am farming inside. Why do you now say that I am farming illegally?"

Legislative Council document reveals that the government allocates 220,000 yuan to compensate farmers

A reporter from "Hong Kong 01" checked the discussion documents of the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council and found that in 2018, the government had allocated 220,000 yuan as "ex-gratia allowance for young crop compensation for agricultural operating facilities." The document even pointed out: "The preliminary works under the project plan are not Land resumption is involved, but small-scale land clearing is required on government land. Several affected farmers will receive ex-gratia allowance compensation in accordance with the current ex-gratia allowance policy."

Legislative Council documents have clearly stated that 220,000 yuan will be allocated as "ex-gratia allowance for young crop compensation for agricultural operating facilities."

(Legislative Council Document)

Zhu Kaidi: The government once compensated the farmers in Caiyuan Village

Zhu Kaidi, a member of the Legislative Council who had a discussion at the time, pointed out that it is not necessary for farmers to not compensate for farming on government land. The boundary between government compensation is blurred and "has great power" in this regard, but if the final decision is not to compensate, the law There may not be a mistake.

He gave an example. In 2009, for the construction of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail, the government also compensated Caiyuan Village for farming on government land, involving several tens to nearly one million yuan.

Zhu Kaidi explained that when the government develops projects on agricultural land, it usually "points young crops" and grants "green crop compensation" to farmers. The "green crop compensation" is not limited to farmers who cultivate on government land. Farmers who suffer losses from government projects can also receive "green crop compensation."

The Lands Department admitted that it had compensated for the "DQ" eligibility for the same year in 2009

Ye Chongguang claimed that he was the only farmer in the entire Hetao area, but he received no compensation at all.

When the Lands Department responded to the enquiry, it did not explain where the 220,000 "green crop compensation" was used, but pointed out that Ye Chongguang illegally reclaimed government land and was "not eligible for compensation."

According to the department, the Yuen Long Lands Office took several land control actions from 2009 to 2012, and ordered Ye Chongguang to stop occupying government land, and had taken over all properties or structures on government land after the statutory notice period expired. The development project in the Loop was gazetted in 2017, so Ye Chongguang should not be affected by the relevant projects and is not eligible for compensation.

However, the Lands Department also admitted that in 2009, due to the construction of the border fence, the "green crop compensation" was issued to Ye Chongguang the following year. It also pointed out that the government would pay those affected by public works projects and eligible farmers based on the market value of the crops grown. "Young crop compensation" to compensate for the loss of crops.

▼Accounted for occupying official land in 2017▼

Reprimand the government for double standards of compensation: "Obviously play with me"

Plowing on the same farmland, he was deemed "qualified" and was compensated. Today, he was "qualified by DQ". Ye Chongguang said that he was helpless: "It was obviously playing with me. Why didn't you tell me early in the morning and let me go to other places to farm? At present, he still has two fishing ponds not far away from the Loop, but the fry and transportation costs are high, and the price of the fish cannot compete with imported freshwater fish. He has no longer continued to operate and sell, but only occasionally fish for his own use.

Ye Chongguang no longer works in agriculture, but he still looks at the hills next to the Hetao District from time to time. He can't see the grand blueprint of the science and technology park. He is only nervous about whether the scalpers will disappear without a trace. I feel very sad when the leader and the hook plane go in and out."

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