Just got a very distressed call from a senior Lammaite in Tai Peng:

The huge, iconic Rubber Tree just outside the Regent Store is in progress of being cut down COMPLETELY. Work is on-going right now.

It's on private land, they claim, so neither the police nor Govt. can and will intervene. The total cutting doesn't seem to be typhoon-related as it survived the typhoon quite well, being very old.

They're trying to contact the owner(s) to try convincing them to stop the works, but it'll be too late very soon. Further news and pictures coming soon....

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More updates:

It seems that the family owning the tree got "many complaints" from various sides about the tree, so the Islands District Office or Lands Dept. (?) has advised them in writing to prune the tree.

Then the owners decided on the drastic action to cut down the entire tree instead of just pruning it. Some locals, having grown up with this iconic tree, tried to change the owners' minds, but to no avail.

It's almost done now, one guy with basic tools killing an ancient tree that might have outlived all of us....

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What a terrible pity! Quite a bit of this handsome tree still remains intact - I'm hoping they feel they have done enough.
Just for the record - it's a rubber tree.

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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
----- Margaret Mead

If it's a rubber tree, it may bounce back ...

A few photos from "Chris the Carpenter" from a few days ago while the tree was being cut down:

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... and what was left over yesterday, my photos of the sad remains of this former majestic tree. Perhaps it was considered a "bad ghost tree" by some, to be cut down just before the climax of the Chin. Ghost Month tonight??

Many locals will remain indoors tonight for fear of roaming ghosts who are on vacation from Hell this Ghost Month. Don't laugh, I'm on "house arrest" just for tonight, prevented even from nighttime outdoor boostcamping, because of deep-rooted, traditional worries by somebody very dear to me....

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Job finished...
Any guess when the Village House(s) will go up?

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