The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) yesterday said in a press release that it was extremely concerned about and alarmed by the manner in which the cross-strait service trade agreement passed the legislative review stage.
CALD chairman Sam Rainsy expressed concern over the President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) administration’s decision to cut short a deliberation process in the Legislative Yuan on March 17 and the ensuing student movement that occupied the legislative chamber two days later, calling for Ma to hold a citizens’ constitutional conference, reject the pact and establish a monitoring mechanism for cross-strait negotiations.
The administration cracked down on protesters occupying the Executive Yuan early on Monday morning and injured dozens of people.
The council “condemns actions of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government that weaken democratic institutions and processes and undermine the voice and rights of the people,” Rainsy said.
The council added that it encouraged a peaceful resolution of the crisis and maximum restraint in defusing tensions in the protest areas.
The council said that it believes it is vital and necessary to respect procedures and inclusive deliberations before policies are enacted.
“Transparency and accountability are prerequisites of a truly democratic government, and therefore any negotiation and consultation done behind closed doors or with undue haste is a violation of democratic principles,” it said.
The council was established in 1993 as a regional organization of liberal and democratic political parties and politicians in Asia. It currently has 16 members.
Separately, former US representative Tom Tancredo called on Ma to hold a referendum to decide the future of the trade pact.
“Like many of Taiwan’s old friends, I was saddened by the ruling party’s decision to sidestep an open and honest dialogue on this incredibly polarizing question,” he said on Tuesday.
“The people of Taiwan have worked hard to free their country from the grip of martial law and one-party dictatorship. They deserve better than this,” said Tancredo, a former member of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus who is now seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Colorado.
In a statement issued in Denver, Colorado, he urged Ma to show restraint and seek a peaceful resolution to the student protests in Taipei.
He said the outcome of the services and trade agreement proposal would have a profound impact on the nation’s sovereignty.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year. Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station. Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up. He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous. With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan
Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the
RSS