Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday called for a swift and overall policy revamp to deal with what she called a regression in Taiwan’s human rights.
“Taiwan’s human rights situation has significantly regressed in recent months, partly because of a flawed system and partly because of the mindset of the nation’s rulers and law enforcement authorities,” Tsai said, adding that “the two facets are of great significance to a progressive society.”
Tsai made the comments prior to a sports meet sponsored by a Taipei City association of builders and contractors.
PHOTO: WANG SHU-HUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
‘CRITICAL MESSAGE’
The US-based non-governmental organization Freedom House urged the Taiwanese government on Thursday to form an independent panel to investigate violent clashes early this month between police and protesters who were demonstrating over a visit by Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin (陳雲林). Freedom House Executive Director Jennifer Windsor said that such an investigation would “send a critical message that the new government of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is interested in upholding the democratic values of transparency and accountability.”
Later yesterday, Tsai took part in two rallies held to address the human rights of those facing prosecution, one in Taipei and another in Tainan.
The event in Taipei, organized by the office of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and several pro-independence groups, was held at Yuanshan Park in Taipei yesterday evening.
LED IN PRAYER
It began with a prayer led by Reverend Lo Rong-kuang (羅榮光), a minister with the Taiwan Presbyterian Church.
Tsai didn’t give a speech. She left shortly after the prayer and headed to the other event in Tainan, held by the DPP’s Tainan branch.
Thousands of people participated in the gathering in Taipei, calling for better protection of sovereignty, democracy, human rights and justice.
DPP heavyweights including former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and former DPP chairmen Yu Shyi-kun and Su Cheng-chang (蘇貞昌) also attended the rally.
Chen was detained on Nov. 12 on suspicion of money laundering, taking bribes, forgery and embezzlement during his two terms in office from 2000 until earlier this year. He has denied the allegations and immediately began a hunger strike when he was detained to protest what he called “political persecution.”
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei
A woman who allegedly attacked a high-school student with a utility knife, injuring his face, on a Taipei metro train late on Friday has been transferred to prosecutors, police said yesterday. The incident occurred near MRT Xinpu Station at about 10:17pm on a Bannan Line train headed toward Dingpu, New Taipei City police said. Before police arrived at the station to arrest the suspect, a woman surnamed Wang (王) who is in her early 40s, she had already been subdued by four male passengers, one of whom was an off-duty Taipei police officer, police said. The student, 17, who sustained a cut about
RSS