Hundreds of Tibetans yesterday held a march in Taipei to commemorate an uprising by Tibetans against China 47 years ago.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) voiced support for the demonstration, urging China to give up imperialism and the persecution of Tibet and Taiwan through military force.
Tibetans living in Taiwan gathered at 228 Memorial Peace Park in the morning and set out on a march after singing Tibet's national anthem and reading a declaration from the Dalai Lama.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, AP
Shouting out "we want freedom and human rights" and "release political prisoners," the marchers and their supporters also chanted "support Tibet's and Taiwan's independence" when passing before the Legislative Yuan.
Holding signs and banners bearing such slogans as "anti-annexation, anti-invasion, supporting Tibet's independence," many DPP members joined the march.
When the line of marchers passed the Legislative Yuan, DPP legislative caucus whip Yeh Yi-jin (
The statement released by the marchers said that on March 10, 1959, Tibetans mounted a protest against China's violent occupation, and the opposition of tyranny became a campaign that united their country.
Over the past 40 years, the Chinese Communist Party has controlled Tibetan society by dominating its politics and religious life, suppressing Tibetans civil rights and depriving them of a voice in their country's future, the statement said. Human rights in Tibet are continuing to deteriorate, it said.
The statement also said that China is still imprisoning the 11th Panchen Lama, who is now 17 years old, and thousands of other Tibetans, branding them as separatists and national security threats. Of even greater concern, the statement said, is that Beijing has engineered the migration of a large number of ethnic Han into Tibet in an effort to assimilate ethnic Tibetans.
Yang Chang-chen (
"The people of Taiwan can empathize and sympathize with the hardships and suffering that Tibetans have encountered," Yang said. "We urge China to give up its imperialism and military persecution of Tibet and Taiwan."
‘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 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
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