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Taiwanese recount their bruising encounter with the wind industry.

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Having reported repeatedly on the thuggery, bullying and general readiness of the wind industry to literally sink the boots in to get its way, nothing much surprises STT now.

In Taiwan, wind power outfits routinely let their muscle loose on anyone with the slightest (and clearly reasonable) objection to their plans to wallow in the wind power subsidy trough (see our posts here and here).

Spanish wind power outfit, Unión Fenosa was responsible for the persecution and assassination of community leaders in Guatemala and Colombia – that little ‘community consultation’ effort required 8 body bags:

The Wind Industry’s Latest “Killing Fields”: Africans Just “Dying” to “Save the Planet”

In the post above we covered a massive community backlash against a wind farm by Kenyan farmers.

In that case, the wind industry’s ready-resort to thuggery resulted in the murder of a teenage farmer, who had the temerity to join hundreds of other protesters over a wind power outfit’s mistreatment of locals.

Apart from the usual lies, treachery and deceit, the skulduggery included the blatant theft of land owned by one farming family – the wind power outfit concerned felt quite comfortable in simply spearing one of its turbines into their property without asking; or even offering any compensation at all. No wonder the locals were more than just a little upset.

That Kenyan kerfuffle – over the minor issue of ignoring pre-existing property rights – might sound like a case of ‘administrative oversight’. You know, where – due a little communication break-down, here and there – the directives from head-office fail to reach the local boys on the ground? Except that the very same ‘business model’ is being used by the wind industry across the developing world. Here’s just the latest example from India.

Gujarat man shot dead after clash over installing windmills in Surendranagar

The Indian Express

Express News Service

31 January 2017

A FARMER WAS shot dead and three others were injured as they clashed with a group of persons hired by a private company for installation of windmills in Sadala village of Muli taluka in Surendranagar on Monday.

Police said that about five odd farmers of Sadala village objected to digging and blasting done by a private firm for preparing the base of wind turbines in the village. The farmers complained that the rock blasting and digging activity was damaging the tubewells on their farms located nearby.

This led to a clash between the farmers and persons hired by the private firm as security guard. Police said that the men hired by the private firm opened fire on farmers, killing one of them and injuring three others. “One person was shot dead in the clash allegedly over land issues.

Some others have been injured and they have been rushed to various hospitals. The situation is under control as of now,” superintendent of police of Surendranagar, Deepak Meghani told The Indian Express.

Muli police said that the victim was identified as Jodhabhai Rabari (48), a resident of Sadala. “Jodhabhai was hit by a bullet on his head and died on the spot. His son and two others have also sustained bullet injuries and have been taken to hospital,” Muli police sub-inspector Vanrajsinh Jadeja said. Police said that the farmers also retaliated with sticks and four persons from the group of the windmill firm were also injured. They too were rushed to hospitals in Surendranagar, Than and Rajkot. Jadeja said that they were in the process of registering a case.

The Indian Express