Several Taiwanese celebrities on Thursday spoke out against cyberbullying in the latest response to the death of model and actress Peng Hsin-yi (彭馨逸), more commonly known by her stage name, Cindy Yang (楊又穎), who apparently committed suicide after online attacks.
In an apparent suicide note found on Tuesday, she said she had been bullied online and wanted — through her death — to turn a spotlight on “the dreadful power” of cyberbullying, her brother said on Thursday.
Upon learning about the message, pop diva Jody Chiang (江蕙) on Facebook said that she was saddened by the fall of a rising star and she urged other young adults to value their lives.
Photo: CNA
It seems there is “too much freedom of speech in Taiwan,” she said, calling for an end to cyberbullying.
“I hope Cindy’s sacrifice will force some people to engage in self-reflection,” Chiang wrote.
Singer-songwriter Christine Fan (范瑋琪) wrote a Facebook post calling for positive influences and for people to stop cyberbullying.
She also urged targets of cyberbullying not to be dispirited.
Scriptwriter and director Wu Nien-jen (吳念真), speaking at a news conference on Thursday, said that cyberspace is like an open market.
“Whatever netizens say, you just have to remember who you are,” he said. “As long as you are doing the right things, there is no need to worry about what others say.”
Singer and actress Kay Huang (黃韻玲) expressed sadness over Peng’s death.
Bullying is not uncommon, but “we have to uplift ourselves and be brave enough to face reality,” she said.
Huang said she was targeted after her first album was released.
At the time, an older actress told her: “You will see more of that in the future — setbacks are inevitable in life,” Huang said.
A 24-year-old entertainer, Peng was found dead at her residence in Taichung on Tuesday. A note and a metal canister reportedly containing helium were found nearby.
Much of the negative commentary concerning Peng appeared on a Facebook page that is not associated with any individual, but operates like a blog or a forum.
Meanwhile, Minister of Education Wu Se-hwa (吳思華) said that he would back legislation against cyberbullying, if Taiwan decided to introduce such laws.
He said Peng’s case highlights the problem of cyberbullying and the need for new regulations to protect personal freedom.
The Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office said cyberbullying is recognized in Taiwan as a potentially indictable offense, adding that it would launch an investigation into the circumstances of Peng’s death.
Chief prosecutor Chang Hsiao-wen (張曉雯) said cyberbullying that involves spreading rumors might constitute an indictable offense, such as public insult or libel, but only if a complaint is lodged.
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
RSS