The National Police Agency (NPA) yesterday announced a massive personnel reshuffle involving 146 high-ranking police officers, including the promotion of National Highway Police Director Liao Mei-ling (廖美鈴) to NPA deputy director-general, a milestone in the agency’s history.
Liao’s promotion in July 2022 made her the first female officer to earn the three stripes and three stars insignia, and now she is making history again as the NPA’s first female deputy director-general.
Liao has a gentle demeanor, but is strong-willed and determined, able to complete all tasks handed down to her and has earned the respect of her superiors, one of Liao’s subordinates said.
Photo copied by Yao Yueh-hung, Taipei Times
The latest reshuffle within the NPA affects county and city police bureau chiefs and deputy chiefs all the way up to the agency’s deputy director-general.
Ten out of 16 county and city police chiefs have been reshuffled, although there were no changes in the six major municipalities.
In related news, women’s groups and Democratic Progressive Party legislators including Fan Yun (范雲) yesterday called for increased gender representation in politics, proposing that the Local Government Act (地方制度法) be amended to increase the quota of female seats in local governments from one-quarter to one-third.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
The groups at a news conference called on the Ministry of the Interior to draft a bill as soon as possible to expand women’s opportunities to hold office and reduce the urban-rural gender disparity in local politics, working toward the goal of an even male-female split.
Female representation in Taiwanese politics has made clear improvements, yet institutionalized gender inequality still remains, particularly in local elections, the groups said.
After the 2022 election, women constituted 39.79 percent of special municipal councilors and 36.02 percent of other county and city councilors, but only 26.15 percent of township councilors, they said.
The Local Government Act has not been amended since 1999, Fan said.
The law stipulates that when the number of special municipality, county or city government councilors or township councilors reaches four, one seat shall be reserved for a female councilor.
If the number exceeds four, one seat out of each additional four shall be reserved for a female councilor, effectively only guaranteeing that between one-in-four and one-in-seven seats remain female and offering no quota for lesser-populated areas with fewer than four seats, Fan said.
In the 2022 election, 22.11 percent of constituencies across Taiwan had no female elected representatives, compared with 46.71 percent among township and city constituencies, highlighting the disparity between urban and rural areas, she said.
Many exceptional female politicians have emerged from local elections, demonstrating the importance of equal participation in local politics, she added.
Fan said that the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women aims for 50 percent female representation in politics.
The Ministry of the Interior has discussed possible amendments to the act for more than a decade, she said.
Fan urged the ministry to come up with a draft bill, and for it to invite representatives from women’s groups to attend hearings on the proposed amendments.
AIR DEFENSE: The Norwegian missile system has proved highly effective in Ukraine in its war against Russia, and the US has recommended it for Taiwan, an expert said The Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) Taiwan ordered from the US would be installed in strategically important positions in Taipei and New Taipei City to guard the region, the Ministry of National Defense said in statement yesterday. The air defense system would be deployed in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) and New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水), the ministry said, adding that the systems could be delivered as soon as the end of this year. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has previously said that three NASAMS would be sold to Taiwan. The weapons are part of the 17th US arms sale to
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS: The suspects formed spy networks and paramilitary groups to kill government officials during a possible Chinese invasion, prosecutors said Prosecutors have indicted seven retired military officers, members of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, for allegedly obtaining funds from China, and forming paramilitary groups and assassination squads in Taiwan to collaborate with Chinese troops in a possible war. The suspects contravened the National Security Act (國家安全法) by taking photos and drawing maps of key radar stations, missile installations and the American Institute in Taiwan’s headquarters in Taipei, prosecutors said. They allegedly prepared to collaborate with China during a possible invasion of Taiwan, prosecutors said. Retired military officer Chu Hung-i (屈宏義), 62, a Republic of China Army Academy graduate, went to China
REGIONAL PEACE: The US is supporting Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities by providing the nation with defensive arms and services, as it aims to maintain cross-strait stability The US on Friday reiterated its support for Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities in a statement affirming its commitment to the Indo-Pacific region. The White House said that Washington has supported Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities through a range of security assistance authorities and resources, including the first-ever use of Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) for Taiwan, as well as International Military Education and Training (IMET). US President Joe Biden had identified the Indo-Pacific as the critical region for the future of the US and the world, it said. “In pursuit of regional peace, security and stability, we have reinvested in our defense
INSURRECTION: The NSB said it found evidence the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has grown threefold over a four-year period, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday. In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but that number grew to 64 last year, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was working with gangs in Taiwan to develop a network of armed spies. Spies in Taiwan have on behalf of the CCP used a variety of channels and methods to infiltrate all sectors of the country, and recruited Taiwanese to cooperate in developing organizations and obtaining sensitive information
RSS