2012 toyko workshop--presentation from Lai tse-chung.doc

  Save Lo-sheng Sanatorium from resist eviction to promote

Transnational World Heritage of Leprosy / Hansen's disease

historical sites.

賴澤君, 

Lai Tse-Chun, Sawa

Architect.

International coordinator of IDEA Taiwan and Save-Lo sheng Sanatorium.org
e-mail: sawalai<sawaarchi100@gmail.com>

 

At first , I will thanks to  the workshop, and all partners here, if without everyone, I won’t come here all my life. I see a magic of the world because of all of you. It’s an achievement from everyone here. And I also want to say thanks to Hansen’s Museum of Tokyo, Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation, , WHO, lawyers, religions, many Doctors, and social workers, because of everyone’s efforts for the Hansen’s disease in the past years , let me see the really value of the world.

￭   Original

This paper is based on my action research which participated in the international campaign for Hansen's Disease and prepared the “International Workshop of HD” on March 3-7, 2009, Taiwan. At that time, Taiwan authority was designated to demolish many cherish architecture and landscape of Lo sheng Sanatorium and people here faced eviction. Fortunately, there were almost 100 people from 7 countries, Korea, Japan, Norway, Malaysia, Guam, and United states to Taiwan concerned the eviction and demotion. It is the first time everyone started to think about the issue “Transnational World Heritage Nomination of Leprosy / Hansen's Disease”.

Lo-sheng Sanatorium was established by the Japanese government in 1930. After 1949 it was received by the Taiwan Provincial Government but residents here also suffered forcible labor, prohibition of marriage, forcible sterilization, forcible abortion, forced to clinical trials and serial medical malpractice etc. Until 1980s the isolation policy had been flexibly conducted. In that reason and historical context, large percent of the sanatorium residents have not been able to return into society and hard to go back to homeland

With rapid urbanization and the growing value of land, however, these homes are increasingly under threat. From 1984, the government had planned will close lo-sheng Sanatorium before 2015 and here will became a MRT station and despot site, government wanted relocating the elders from a 1floor community houses to 9 floor hospital. Many elders worried can’t fit the high floor life style but no one care. They started to appeal for the government departments from local to central departments.

In 2005, Lo-sheng there were 27 persons who were segregated before 1945 got victory in judgment to get compensation from Japan government. After that, the resident with Save Lo-sheng org and IDEA Taiwan started to promote Legislative Yuan to pass " Hansen’s disease Patients Human Rights Protection and Compensation Act".

Gradually, their voice touch the solidarity of many students, doctors, lawyers, and artists, in 2007even had 7000 individuals gathering before the square of the Presidential Office of R.O.C had a big March to appeal for changing the original demolition planning to maintain the old hospital become a national historic site, the big march finally mad the government changed the planning and promise will keep the old Sanatorium. Lo-sheng Sanatorium finally been pointed to be a the cultural landscape by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of New Taipei city government in 2007, and been pointed to be a World Heritage potential sites by Ministry of Culture of ROC in 2008.

We can say that Lo Sheng Sanatorium was the production of the World War II, people here were the victims of the rational public health policy, separatism and social and economic over development concept. However, from 2004 they resist eviction from MRT, walked out of a sense of  inferiority, thronging cross-border litigation with Korea and Japan , pushed a new Law protecting their human rights and asked the Government to apologize and compensate for their lost life, then the residents of Lo-sheng donated 30000 USD to promoted Lo-sheng Museum and transnational world heritage workshop from 2009 to called for the society to note the history . We can say that Lo-sheng from isolation to link the world, keep changing disease history. The residents' efforts proofing illness is innocence, and pearl for world should respect for human rights, family tide, note dignity and elderly care.

￭   The Trend of UNESCO

 Earlier in September 2008, the World Heritage Centre sent out a Circular Letter to consult States Parties to the Convention on serial national and transnational nominations.(WHC-09/33.COM/10A ) . There was a famous case that UNESCO, WHC had a Sub-regional Workshop on the Serial World Heritage Nomination of the Silk Roads from 2008 which spanning a quarter of the globe.

￭   My Analysis

About the work to promote on Transactional World Heritage of leprosy, perhaps it’s hard for everyone to think how it could be work? Now, I will give more descriptions and discussion let everyone to understand why “transnational World Heritage nomination of Leprosy / HD  ”could be work.

 

l  History and Analyses.

l  Value of leprosy / HD properties.

l  What can we do now?

l  Conclusion

 

At first, let us looking at history and analyses about Hansen’s disease. I did some simple statistics and analyses for the database of “Global Project on the History of Leprosy",(GPOHL) which set by ILA dating from 1847. I find that already had more than 505 Leprosaria spanning more than 78 countries in the past centuries of the data.  which contained isolation islands, colonies, sanatoria, hospitals, villages, and some shelter etc, In another way I also asked Dr. GP, he said that there are 800 colonies now in India, and Dr, Michel Cheng told that there were 600 villages in China. It pointed It really a transnational collective issues. This historical sites were meaningful, like the UNESCO Quebec declaration in 2008 said “ the spirit of places” of Leprosy/ HD history.

And as we know, Many of this places all once enforced strict segregation policies, patients got inhumane treatment, far away their families, their homeland, and got abortion, forced labor, education interrupted etc. inhuman treatments, like living in concentrated camps, and also affected more than 1000,000 ex-patients and their families. The histories were even earlier than Nat’s campus in Germen.

 

￭   Evolution of social policies

Looking at the evolution of social policies in the past one or two centuries, sould be said have crate new human civilization records.

 

I think it can be separated into 4 periods.

    1). Conmon social prejudice periods. (1550BCà1800)

2). Medical Progress periods. (1800à 1980)

3). Policy Bias periods. (1800à 1980)

4). Fighting for Human rights periods. (1950à 2010)

 

As everyone know that Leprosy /Hansen’s disease (HD)  was well known in ancient Egypt, China and India. In the Bible also recorded the prejudices and social exclusion. Famous scholar Michel Foucault pointed that it is a kind phenomenology reflected “Madness and Civilization” ,guided more social prejudices translate into the segregation. In 1897, first medical meeting decided absolutely segregation , Isolation policy direction. The time is even than early than Nats Campus.(1930-1945)

Moreover, the medical Progress of leprosy / HD had give great contribution in the recently centuries: In 1873, Dr. Hansen of Norway discover Mycobacterium-leprae; In 1941, promin, in 1950s, Dapsone been discovered in Carville, but this period was a trial period, the elders of Losheng said: many patients suicided themselves by hanging, finally from 1970s to 1980s, the WHO began recommending MDT (history of Leprosy). Now, most previously highly endemic countries have now reached elimination.

Looking at the evolution of social policies in the past one or two centuries, it should be said that it have create new human civilization. As we know that "History always learned and grown from mistakes". But in this long process, a group always under various trials and suffering endless pain because the segregation, isolation policies. in the past years, we can see many individual affected by HD, and attracted the social revolutions and reflection to protect the human rights of the individual who affected by Leprosy/HD . I think it is an important contribution to the world.

And now, we can say the leprosy / Hansen’s disease history is similar to the Silk Roads, traced to almost 2000-4000 years of human civilization, spanning in different area of the world, rich of historical and cultural diversity. Moreover, the evolution of policies in modern, the medical and scientifically contributions and universal values of human rights all related to the transnational achievement. All of them shall meet UNESCO's criteria for register on the World Heritage list.

￭  Expert Review   

At Workshop in Taiwan, 2009, the Professor Yukio Nishimura, from the Tokyo University, the former vice president of ICOMOS, he pointed out that Lo-Sheng and other Hansen’s disease historical sites in the world  maybe ‘meets’ UNESCO’s criteria  (ii)(iv)and(vi) associative value.

Professor Nishimura said that while the sanatorium is not a ‘masterpiece of creative genius’ nor a ‘testimony to a cultural tradition,’ it does have other valuable traits, such as universal values, and special medical items, also match with human rights and the development of civilization and multiple complex projects. He suggested that “International organizations can refer to these values from the depth exposition and promotion of transnational WH of Leprosy / HD , like other sites that were listed as World Heritage sites because of their associative value include, such as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial , the Auschwitz concentration camp and the historic center of Warsaw — 80 percent of which was reconstructed after World War II, etc. ( Taipei Time; IDEA Taiwan, 2009).

￭   The strategy

  Until 2010, already have 25 culture and nature transnational World Heritage on list. (serial the criteria for World Heritage List  must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria. These criteria are explained in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. Transnational property.”(section 138 of the Operational Guidelines). In my opinions, the important criteria for Leprosy / HD property perhaps we could give depth exposition and promotion such as:

1) The history and culture value and significance are valuable: 

2) The brilliant achievements of medical and scientifically research and it finally elimination of leprosy after almost 2000 years in the recently two centuries.

3) Highlight the universal values of human rights: we can look at the campaigns in past, contained UN, WHO, different states, religious, NGOs and the individuals who affected by the disease. This achievements reflect the precious of human maturity.

4) The value of Modern Hansen's disease sanatoriums: A tangible heritage which had been widely established throughout the world during the colonial and empires ages. Albeit a negative history but some of them had outstanding example of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape , those Lepsariums form a special typology in the world.

5) Associative value: such as "History like a mirror". We preserve it and transform it for educating next generation, ending the madness history of leprosy. Apparently, it also meet the UNESCO newly work for promoting cross-border and transnational World Heritage preservation between States, to pursuit world peace and universal values.

￭   Case Study

The World Heritage Sites connected to 'leprosy” now:

1). Great Barrier Reef Fantome Island : A Hansen’s disease sanatorium was established on the island in 1927. Upon its closure in 1974 it was purged by fire.

2). Robben Island： 1836-1931 served as a leprosy colonyVenice and its Lagoon Island of San.

3). Lazzaro degli Armeni ："Lying just off the Lido, San Lazzaro degli Armeni is a small, very green monastery island.

4).The Leprosy Archives in Bergen ：In 2001,  became part of UNESCO Memory of the World Program.

￭  What can we do now？

I. International Linkage work.:

•   Now we have over10 countries will start together is good beginning.

II. Preparing works:

•   Every countries should got the social supports and contacting with the Ministry of Culture of your government, let them determine whether participate in the transnational program.

III.Sources gatherings：

•   Hope the voice of the individuals affected by HD been heard, we could gather 10,000 sponsors working together.

 

￭  Contribution

 Promoting WH-HD which will also helpful with WHO, will keep on concerning health questions and medical histories in development countries, and it is a peace issue talking about enti-war and support of human rights. This transnational action will also feedback to elders, women, and children in development countries to gather global concern about MDGs program of UN, Culture of Peace with UNESCO, for education global society and our next generation, it contained rich meaning with transnational peace and global sustainable issue.

￭  Conclusion

There are more and more countries decided gradually close those Hansen’s disease historical sites. The recent one happened in japan four years ago, “Kumamoto”. Many lawyers, ex-patients come forward to save here. The Lawyer visited Lo-sheng in 2009 July and the chairperson behalf Mr. Tokuda and his group had promised will promoting the global HD World Heritage with us together.

This Year, IDEA international started creating a network of Leprosy Heritage Sites. We had a conference in May in Seneca Falls of USA. This is a very good starting. Now we need to expand the Network, because of everyone the goal maybe need 3 years, the most up to 5 years.

Most individuals who once affected by HD are old now, but their fighting in the past are so great and encourage the world to persuade peace and love in the world, now we will go on the work to honor the old generation for their spirit forward the world.

A major issue for us today, is how to preserve the memory and history of Hansen ’s disease before it disappears. The history of HD is an un-erasable history. Dignity for HD is dignity for all humanity. We believe the movement of transnational World Heritage will help for preserving all HD heritage sits' history, memory and revival the dignity.