The government’s delayed reaction in launching disaster relief operations after Typhoon Morakot devastated southern Taiwan has caused widespread public rage and dissatisfaction, both in Taiwan and abroad.
By yesterday at noon, about 80 percent of Web users had voted “yes” to a CNN Internationlal online public poll question: “Should Taiwan’s leader stand down over delays in aiding typhoon victims?”
Meanwhile, a Web petition to initiate a “Let’s set a date at 919 [Sept. 19] to depose Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).”
The last character in the president’s name means nine in Chinese.
A Plurker nicknamed Xdite also called on fellow users of the Internet social platform to attend the upcoming National Youth Policy Forum, which is scheduled for Aug. 30.
Ma, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) as well as other Cabinet ministers are expected to make appearances.
Xdite called on other Plurkers to attend the forum, which will be open to 300 people aged 18 to 35, so that they can demand that Ma step down for mishandling the typhoon disaster relief operations.
Soon after Xdite had posted the message on his board, another Plurker replied: “I am worried that if I were to attend, I would be too inclined to throw a shoe at Ma at the event.”
On another online message board, a Web user posted a satire titled “Documentation on Emperor Ma, Chapter One.”
One passage of the fictious story reads: “Though many countries wished to come to his aid, Emperor Ma refused, saying, ‘though our country is poor, it can protect itself.’”
“The people were enraged, and pleaded for foreign aid in tears. After two days, the Emperor changed his words and said: ‘Where did the rumor come from? I never refused any aid,’” it read.
Addressing the Web protests, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) said that Ma should have stepped down long ago.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) said that although she had reservations about the accuracy of the poll held by CNN yesterday, its result nevertheless served as a warning sign.
‘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 magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
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