As the presidential candidates canvass for votes on the streets by traveling in open-topped jeeps, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director Tsai Der-sheng (蔡得勝) yesterday said he has asked police to persuade people to only set off firecrackers before and after the candidates arrive to avoid startling them.
Tsai’s comments came after Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was startled by supporters’ fire-crackers when canvassing in Yunlin on Saturday.
Setting off firecrackers is not illegal, Tsai Der-sheng said, and as such police would only resort to persuasion.
Photo: CNA
Tsai Der-sheng said the sound of firecrackers could cover the sound of a gunshot and interfere with the security of the candidates, adding that it would be best if firecrackers are not set off when the presidential candidates are present.
Tsai Der-sheng, who accompanied President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on a canvassing activity in Taoyuan County yesterday afternoon, said the bureau had dispatched four police motorcycles to follow the president’s fleet.
The security measures for the motorcade included three panes of bulletproof glass at the rear of the president’s car that were provided by the NSB.
In other news, New Taipei City (新北市) Government officials said late on Saturday that two men were barred from approaching Ma during a Christmas Eve gala in the city after they were discovered to be carrying BB guns.
One of the men was stopped from entering a control area where Ma was arriving for the charity gala after he was discovered to be carrying a BB gun and a bottle of BB pellets in his bag, officials said.
The other man was stopped by security guards when trying to enter the same control area near citizens square in Banqiao District (板橋) minutes later. He was also found to be carrying a BB gun and a bottle of pellets, officials said.
At the entrance to another control area, a mother and child were barred from entering after the boy was found to be carrying a toy gun.
The gala drew about 80,000 people, with about 200 police and security personnel standing by to protect Ma, who is seeking re-election on Jan. 14.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
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