President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday pledged to continue to pay close attention to human rights issues in China and to protect human rights in Taiwan, stressing the government’s efforts to promote reconciliation with victims of past political oppression.
Speaking at the launch of the English version of the government’s first national human rights report, Ma said his administration had frequently voiced its concern about human rights developments in China — including its annual remarks on the Tiananmen Square Massacre and calls for the release of Chinese dissidents such as artist Ai Weiwei (艾未未) and Nobel Peace laureate and writer Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波).
“We care very much about mainland China’s human rights record, and it’s not just something we learned from Western countries or because we’re following any trends,” Ma said at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“In Taiwan, we’ve adopted various measures to compensate families of the victims of the 228 Incident and the White Terror period. It is important to recognize past mistakes and bring about reconciliation in society,” he said.
The report was compiled by the Presidential Office’s human rights advisory panel in April. It details the nation’s progress in implementing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights that Ma signed in 2009, and showcases the government’s efforts in protecting human rights in different areas, including gender equality, individual freedoms, social welfare and the judicial system.
The Ma administration will invite nine international academics to review the report in February, including the president’s mentor, New York University law professor and human rights advocate Jerome Cohen.
Cohen visited imprisoned former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) at Taipei Veterans General Hospital on Monday. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬), who accompanied Cohen on the visit, said the professor was planning to establish a committee to conduct a full review of Chen’s case and decide whether to make an appeal for Chen’s rights when he visits Taiwan in February to review the human rights report.
When asked whether Cohen’s concerns about Chen’s condition in prison would affect the report’s review, the president said Cohen and other academics would focus on the content of the human rights report.
“The international review will focus on the content of the report, and we do not know whether they will express other concerns. The Republic of China government will definitely respect their opinions,” he said.
As to condemnation from the EU and several human rights groups about Taiwan’s continued implementation of the death penalty, Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu (曾勇夫) said the government would reduce the number of death sentences, with an aim to eliminate capital punishment in the future. However, for the time being, the ministry should respect the rule of law and enforce the death penalty.
The report also addressed the issue of media monopolies, a subject that has drawn wide concern since Want Want China Broadband’s (旺中寬頻) bid to acquire the 11 cable TV services owned by China Network Service.
Ma said maintaining a free and open media environment remained the government’s policy.
Issues related to media mergers will be handled by the National Communications Commission and the Fair Trade Commission, and the government will not interfere with their authority, he said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old