Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday criticized the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) for removing a banner reading “All hail Formosa” raised on Sunday by fans during a qualifying match with Turkmenistan.
DPP Legislator Huang Kuo-shu (黃國書) criticized the banner’s removal, saying the Sports Administration should do a better job of advising the CTFA, adding that fans should not be censored when they are cheering for their team.
Huang, at a joint news conference in Taipei with DPP Legislator Chang Liang Wan-chien (張廖萬堅), also said that two volleyball players were unable to participate in the Asian Youth Championship in Chongqing, China, earlier this month, because Taiwan’s Volleyball Association failed to inform the players about changes to the qualification rules that have been in place for two years.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The volleyball association was ordered to explain the incident within a week, Sports Administration international and cross-straits division director Hsu Hsiu-ling (許秀玲) said.
Lin Yung-chen (林詠晨), head of the Ultras Formosa fan group whose banner was removed, said his group has been using the same banner for nearly 10 years and had not encountered any difficulties until last year.
Lin said the slogan is meant to cheer on Taiwanese teams, adding that Formosa is a historical Portuguese name for the nation.
“The name has even been used officially for the Taiwanese team at the Olympics,” Lin said. “If Guam’s soccer team can use that island’s native language and name their team ‘Matao,’ is it not strange to forbid the name ‘Formosa’?”
Lin said the CTFA failed to communicate their requirements before the match and refused to discuss the issue, adding that the association’s actions hurt the fans’ spirit.
Huang criticized the CTFA’s failure to “explain its actions from a strong stance,” adding that the administration should clarify what constitutes a “political slogan” and what is in line with Olympic conventions.
It should also stand firm in the face of international requirements that are unreasonable, Huang added.
Hsu said that “Formosa” is deemed a political slogan by the Asian Football Confederation, adding that the nation was fined US$4,000 for displaying a banner containing the word during an East Asia Cup qualifier against East Timor in October last year.
The administration has asked the CTFA to address the issue following Sunday’s incident, Hsu said, adding that Taiwan is not the only nation that has been fined by the confederation for similar breaches.
The lawmakers also talked about a fight that broke out at the International Ice Hockey Federation U18 World Championship in Taipei on Friday, after which two Chinese players were suspended for instigating the clash with Taiwanese players.
Huang accused the Sports Administration of failing to act as an intermediary between sports associations and fans.
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
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
RSS