On the fourth anniversary of former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) imprisonment on corruption charges on Sunday, several pro-localization groups and US-based Taiwanese expatriates are scheduled to stage concerts in Taiwan and the US to show their support for the former president and protest what they call “the ordeal of Chen’s wrongful incarceration.”
At 6pm on Sunday, several groups, including the Ketagalan Foundation and Taiwan Society Hakka, are to jointly hold an evening concert at the 228 Peace Memorial Park in Taipei.
Nearly 200 prominent Hakka people, including Chung Chao-cheng (鍾肇政) and Academia Sinica’s Institute of Sociology chairman Michael Hsiao (蕭新煌), are expected to attend the event, during which the former president is to be honored with an award for “Best Contribution to Hakka Community” for his long-time advocacy for the ethnic group.
The former president has been hospitalized at Taipei Veterans General Hospital since Sept. 21. His son, Chen Chih-chung (陳致中), will accept the award on his behalf.
“During his term as Taipei mayor, Chen Shui-bian worked to facilitate Hakka-language education and established a Hakka radio station. After he took office [in 2000,] he set up the Hakka Affairs Council as well as colleges of Hakka studies and Hakka research centers at various universities,” former Taiwan Hakka Society chairman Chang Yeh-sen (張葉森) said.
“The former president’s long-time dedication and relentless efforts to protect the Hakka group are why we decided to present him with this award. We also hope the award will bring comfort to the former president,” Chang said.
Chang said the event would feature a blessing ceremony for the former president, with his daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching (黃睿靚) staging a piano solo in honor of him.
Meanwhile, several US-based Taiwanese expatriates are also to hold a musical forum at the Taiwan Center in Flushing, New York, at 4pm local time on Sunday, to voice support for the former president and call for judicial justice.
In response to the scheduled events, Chen Shui-bian’s office said yesterday that it was the darkest day for Taiwan’s human rights and judicial system on Nov. 11, 2008, when the former president was wrongfully prosecuted and imprisoned.
“Having been forced to endure four years of judicial ordeal, the former president has yet to be exonerated and regain his freedom. Even though his health condition is critical, he is repeatedly denied medical parole,” the office said, adding that former US representative Tom Tancredo is also to take part in the Taipei event to lend support to the former president.
People can take the Taipei MRT free of charge if they access it at Nanjing Sanmin Station or Taipei Arena Station on the Green Line between 12am and 6am on Jan. 1, the Taipei Department of Transportation said on Friday, outlining its plans to ease crowding during New Year’s events in the capital. More than 200,000 people are expected to attend New Year’s Eve events in Taipei, with singer A-mei (張惠妹) performing at the Taipei Dome and the city government’s New Year’s Eve party at Taipei City Hall Plaza, the department said. As people have tended to use the MRT’s Blue or
Civil society groups yesterday protested outside the Legislative Yuan, decrying Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) efforts to pass three major bills that they said would seriously harm Taiwan’s democracy, and called to oust KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁). It was the second night of the three-day “Bluebird wintertime action” protests in Taipei, with organizers announcing that 8,000 people attended. Organized by Taiwan Citizen Front, the Economic Democracy Union (EDU) and a coalition of civil groups, about 6,000 people began a demonstration in front of KMT party headquarters in Taipei on Wednesday, organizers said. For the third day, the organizers asked people to assemble
Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
Taiwanese professional baseball should update sports stadiums and boost engagement to enhance fans’ experience, Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) in an interview on Friday. The league has urged Farglory Group and the Taipei City Government to improve the Taipei Dome’s outdated equipment, including relatively rudimentary television and sound systems, and poor technology, he said. The Tokyo Dome has markedly better television and sound systems, despite being 30 years old, because its managers continually upgraded its equipment, Tsai said. In contrast, the Taipei Dome lacked even a room for referees
RSS