Eastern Europe misconception
I am heartened by the mutual expressions of affection — official and unofficial — between Lithuania and Taiwan. I wish to see something of the same between my own country, Finland, and Taiwan, particularly in terms of tourism and trade.
[Junior-high school teacher] Chang Jim-way (張經偉) suggested that the high suicide rate in Lithuania is partly due to the relatively smaller dose of sunshine in our corner of the world (“Taiwan’s turn to help Lithuania,” Aug. 18, page 8 ). I would posit that this is mostly a misconception, as attested to by scientific studies.
For all its virtues, Lithuanian society certainly has its share of problems. In respect to its relatively high suicide rate, I would argue that alcohol and drug abuse are much stronger contributing factors than the amount of sunshine.
Lithuania — like Finland — has been truly blessed by nature. We have four beautiful seasons. We have no monsoons, no typhoons and no earthquakes.
What we do have in common with Taiwan is that we, too, have a big neighbor that is our sole existential threat.
Kerkko Paananen,
media analyst
Helsinki
Medication for COVID-19
Recently I have seen US media reporting on successful use of “monoclonal antibodies,” particularly Regeneron’s REGEN-COV, for COVID-19 infected patients. US media already report more than 100,000 doses a month are used there.
Considering the government’s lack of adequate provision of vaccines in Taiwan, has the nation prepared an adequate supply of such medication and other successful therapies?
I think there has so far not been much mention of this in Taiwanese media.
Ben Harvey
Tainan
Military discipline
A captain, surnamed Ho (賀), of the 8th Army Corps’ 564 Armor Brigade, son of Republic of China Army Lieutenant General Ho Cheng (賀政), was involved in an early-hours altercation with police officers after a night of drinking with friends, ending with the captain insulting an officer and being arrested.
On Wednesday, the younger Ho’s case was heard by a disciplinary committee, and he was given two major demerits and expelled from the armed forces.
At the beginning of this year, the army trialed military discipline reforms, in which military personnel involved in major disciplinary events, such as altercations with law enforcement, automatically receive two major demerits and are removed from their posts, with expulsion procedures initiated and the process greatly streamlined.
The new measures have already had their desired effect of vigilance and deterrence, and the son of a general has been the test case.
It is extremely regrettable that this has damaged the image of the army and the officers’ code, but it is good to see that the army is not allowing nepotism to get in the way of the proper enforcement of the regulations, even when it applies to the sons of high-ranking officers.
When military personnel break the law and have to be disciplined, it is important that they are dealt with immediately and for their punishment to be announced so that the public is aware that this is happening.
It is also a deterrent to bad behavior among enlisted personnel.
Tien Fong-wen
New Taipei City
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