Amid the ongoing furor over a controversy involving a television station, Premier Frank Hsieh (
Making remarks to the press, DPP legislative whip Chen Chi-jun (
Government Information Office (GIO) Minister Pasuya Yao (姚文智) also complained yesterday that constant calls have interrupted the lives of his staff and family ever since Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers publicized his office and home numbers.
"I once again urge the public not to make these kinds of calls, because these have seriously interfered with many innocent people, including my staff members and my family members," Yao said, referring to threatening and abusive phone calls.
Yao made the remarks at a press conference held at the GIO, during which he played recorded clips of calls for the press.
"Tell Yao ... if he dares to shut down TVBS, he had better watch his back," an anonymous man shouted on the phone.
"Tell Mr. Minister that it is ridiculous for the government to hammer a TV station like that," another caller said on the phone.
Some of the clips contained only strings of non-stop profanities.
Aside from the first clip telling Yao to "watch his back," none of the other clips played contained threats against Yao's life.
However, a senior staff member at the GIO who wished to remain anonymous told the Taipei Times that several threatening calls had been made, but that the clips were not made public because the police are investigating them.
"I really do not know why lawmakers would do this [make public my numbers]. But what they did has seriously bothered me, my co-workers and my family members," Yao said. "We will not change our policies because of these calls. I also sincerely hope that politics can be removed from this."
KMT legislators Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) made Yao's numbers public on Monday and encouraged people to call him to complain about the GIO's investigation of TVBS' foreign shareholding status, and warning that the government could suspend TVBS' operating license.
"In addition to bothering my co-workers, these callers bombard my home phone as well. That scares my family members," Yao said.
Yao said he has filed a request with the National Police Agency for bodyguards. In the meantime, his local police have increased security measures for Yao, his family and his residence.
Asked how Hsieh had responded when told about the harassment, Yao said, "He only told me to be careful."
Regarding the TVBS issue, Yao said that today will be the deadline for the station to explain its foreign shareholding status, and he will be expecting a clear explanation. He said he also learned from a magazine that TVBS chairman Norman Leung (梁乃鵬), who is also the former chairman of the Hong Kong government's Broadcasting Authority, is now in Taiwan.
"If that is the case, I would be more than happy to meet him in person here at the GIO and hear his explanation," Yao said. "However, if [today's] report is clear enough, it will not be necessary to meet Leung."
Meanwhile, Connie Lin (林育卉), director of the Broadcasting Development Fund, said she hoped that the TVBS problem would be resolved as soon as possible.
TVBS is alleged to be in violation of a law that stipulates that foreign holdings in a station or newspaper cannot exceed 50 percent.
Lin proposed that TVBS should either stop being an "in-country" channel (境內頻道) or alter its shareholding structure.
TVBS could legally register as a channel based outside of Taiwan, and there was no reason to be afraid of doing so, she said.
However, some critics have questioned how the situation came about in the first place.
Additional reporting by Jean Lin
‘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
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as