We commemorate the Tibetan uprising today, when thousands of Tibetans rose up against Chinese occupation and oppression on March 10, 1959.
We honor the courage and sacrifice of those who fought and died for the country’s freedom and dignity.
We also express our solidarity with and support for the Tibetans who continue to resist and struggle for their rights and autonomy in the face of China’s brutal crackdown and assimilation policies.
We call on the international community to stand with Tibet and to urge China to respect their human rights and aspirations.
We demand that China end its illegal occupation and colonization of Tibet, and engage in a meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration to reach a peaceful and democratic resolution.
Tibet is not a part of China. It is a distinct nation with a rich and ancient culture, a unique identity and a legitimate claim to self-determination.
We pledge to work together with Tibetan support groups, parliamentarians, civil society organizations and individuals around the world to raise awareness and advocate for their cause.
We reaffirm our commitment to the principles of nonviolence, democracy and compassion that guide the Tibetan movement.
We envision a future where Tibet is free and prosperous, and where its people can live in harmony and happiness with China and the rest of the world.
Khedroob Thondup is a former member of the Tibetan parliament in exile.
To The Honorable Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜): We would like to extend our sincerest regards to you for representing Taiwan at the inauguration of US President Donald Trump on Monday. The Taiwanese-American community was delighted to see that Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan speaker not only received an invitation to attend the event, but successfully made the trip to the US. We sincerely hope that you took this rare opportunity to share Taiwan’s achievements in freedom, democracy and economic development with delegations from other countries. In recent years, Taiwan’s economic growth and world-leading technology industry have been a source of pride for Taiwanese-Americans.
Next week, the nation is to celebrate the Lunar New Year break. Unfortunately, cold winds are a-blowing, literally and figuratively. The Central Weather Administration has warned of an approaching cold air mass, while obstinate winds of chaos eddy around the Legislative Yuan. English theologian Thomas Fuller optimistically pointed out in 1650 that “it’s always darkest before the dawn.” We could paraphrase by saying the coldest days are just before the renewed hope of spring. However, one must temper any optimism about the damage being done in the legislature by the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), under
To our readers: Due to the Lunar New Year holiday, from Sunday, Jan. 26, through Sunday, Feb. 2, the Taipei Times will have a reduced format without our regular editorials and opinion pieces. From Tuesday to Saturday the paper will not be delivered to subscribers, but will be available for purchase at convenience stores. Subscribers will receive the editions they missed once normal distribution resumes on Sunday, Feb. 2. The paper returns to its usual format on Monday, Feb. 3, when our regular editorials and opinion pieces will also be resumed.
Young Taiwanese are consuming an increasing amount of Chinese content on TikTok, causing them to have more favorable views of China, a Financial Times report cited Taiwanese social scientists and politicians as saying. Taiwanese are being exposed to disinformation of a political nature from China, even when using TikTok to view entertainment-related content, the article published on Friday last week said. Fewer young people identify as “Taiwanese” (as opposed to “Chinese”) compared with past years, it wrote, citing the results of a survey last year by the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation. Nevertheless, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would be hard-pressed