Amid finger-pointing between the ruling and opposition parties, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus yesterday apologized to the public for the kerfuffle at the CKS International Airport on Tuesday, saying it had seriously damaged the nation's image.
"We, as a responsible ruling party, feel sorry about what happened and condemn any form of violence," DPP caucus whip Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said. "We are in favor of meting out punishment to those held responsible in accordance with the law and urge agencies concerned to conduct a swift and thorough examination of the matter to prevent any similar occurrence from happening again."
Lai said it is not fair or correct to blame the violence on a single party or individual.
"Until the truth comes out, we hope opposition parties refrain from politicizing the matter and damaging the political climate, which is gradually turning congenial," he said.
Flanked by his colleagues who went to the airport to "see off" Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
"We strongly suspect they were gangsters," DPP Legislator Chen Chin-jun (
In addition to asking government officials to bring suspected gangsters involved in the tussle to justice, Wang condemned New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (
"Such venomous comments should have been uttered by such Taiwanese people as I, who was a victim of the infamous `228 incident' by the former foreign regime of KMT," Wang said.
"If I, as a Taiwanese, cannot stage a protest against Lien's attempt to fawn over China, I'd rather die," he said.
As Lien is due back next Tuesday, Wang said he will take two eggs to the airport to welcome him back, but that he will go alone.
DPP Legislator Pan Meng-an (
Huang Chung-yung (黃宗源), of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), said that both the pan-blue and pan-green camps should be held responsible and he would like to apologize to the public on his party's behalf.
He, however, charged that the pan-blue alliance had colluded with gangsters to beat up innocent people, including seniors. He also criticized the police force for doing a poor job in maintaining order.
Echoing Huang's opinion, TSU caucus whip Liao Pen-yen (
"We had warned the police to be aware of the infiltration of gangsters, but they turned a deaf ear to our warnings," he said.
In addition to asking Minister of the Interior Su Jia-chyuan (
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and