The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have joined human rights groups worldwide to condemn Beijing over the reported arrests of nearly 60 human rights lawyers and dissidents across China, calling on Beijing to stop human rights abuses.
“Foreign media outlets have reported that during recent days, dozens of lawyers and rights activists across China have been arrested, summoned, questioned and deprived of freedom of movement,” DPP spokesperson Wang Min-sheng (王閔生) said yesterday. “The whereabouts of several still remain unknown.”
“We hereby express our serious concern over these incidents and call on Beijing to stop moves to restrict freedom,” Wang said.
The Mainland Affairs Council should protest to Beijing to show the government’s firm stance on the values of human rights, democracy and freedom, Wang added.
“Economic development brings improvements in living standards and it is natural for people to start pursuing democracy, freedom and human rights,” Wang said. “The trend cannot be stopped, and those in power should listen and follow the will of the people instead of trying to repress it. Otherwise, the regime will eventually lose the hearts of the people.”
The KMT also called on China to protect civil rights.
KMT spokesperson Yang Wei-chung (楊偉中) said Beijing has been increasing restrictions on human rights advocates, the freedom of speech, the Internet and news outlets, as well as putting more effort into controlling dissidents.
The KMT is very concerned about the developments, Yang said, calling on Beijing to implement constitutional democracy and protect civil rights, adding that this would help to enhance mutual understanding and trust across the Taiwan Strait, shortening the psychological distance between the two sides.
There has been no word from Beijing on the arrests and state media have not reported them.
AIR DEFENSE: The Norwegian missile system has proved highly effective in Ukraine in its war against Russia, and the US has recommended it for Taiwan, an expert said The Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) Taiwan ordered from the US would be installed in strategically important positions in Taipei and New Taipei City to guard the region, the Ministry of National Defense said in statement yesterday. The air defense system would be deployed in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) and New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水), the ministry said, adding that the systems could be delivered as soon as the end of this year. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has previously said that three NASAMS would be sold to Taiwan. The weapons are part of the 17th US arms sale to
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS: The suspects formed spy networks and paramilitary groups to kill government officials during a possible Chinese invasion, prosecutors said Prosecutors have indicted seven retired military officers, members of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, for allegedly obtaining funds from China, and forming paramilitary groups and assassination squads in Taiwan to collaborate with Chinese troops in a possible war. The suspects contravened the National Security Act (國家安全法) by taking photos and drawing maps of key radar stations, missile installations and the American Institute in Taiwan’s headquarters in Taipei, prosecutors said. They allegedly prepared to collaborate with China during a possible invasion of Taiwan, prosecutors said. Retired military officer Chu Hung-i (屈宏義), 62, a Republic of China Army Academy graduate, went to China
INSURRECTION: The NSB said it found evidence the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has grown threefold over a four-year period, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday. In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but that number grew to 64 last year, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was working with gangs in Taiwan to develop a network of armed spies. Spies in Taiwan have on behalf of the CCP used a variety of channels and methods to infiltrate all sectors of the country, and recruited Taiwanese to cooperate in developing organizations and obtaining sensitive information
BREAKTHROUGH: The US is making chips on par in yield and quality with Taiwan, despite people saying that it could not happen, the official said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has begun producing advanced 4-nanometer (nm) chips for US customers in Arizona, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said, a milestone in the semiconductor efforts of the administration of US President Joe Biden. In November last year, the commerce department finalized a US$6.6 billion grant to TSMC’s US unit for semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona. “For the first time ever in our country’s history, we are making leading edge 4-nanometer chips on American soil, American workers — on par in yield and quality with Taiwan,” Raimondo said, adding that production had begun in recent
RSS