Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday said he would remain in his post and work to publicize the facts leading up to the suicide of the nation’s head diplomat in Osaka, which was allegedly due to criticism he received over his office’s post-typhoon assistance to Taiwanese.
Hsieh has been heavily criticized online and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members for the aid provided by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office’s Osaka branch earlier this month after Kansai International Airport was shut by flooding caused by Typhoon Jebi.
The Osaka office was criticized for failing to assist Taiwanese.
Photo: CNA
Su Chii-cherng (蘇啟誠), director-general of the Osaka branch, committed suicide at his residence in Osaka and his body was discovered on Friday last week.
Hsieh has since come under harsher criticism, with many calling for him to step down and take responsibility for Su’s death.
Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, Hsieh said he would not consider stepping down, because he has a lot of work to do, including setting the record straight about Su.
Hsieh said he was heartbroken over the loss and believes that Su committed suicide due to the criticism he received.
Some of the reports after the flood were little more than rumors from China, he added.
For instance, a Chinese embassy shuttle bus rumor has been confirmed as false, as no vehicles were allowed to leave Kansai other than the airport’s own shuttle buses, he said.
Although a netizen said that staff at the Osaka office were reluctant to offer assistance to Taiwanese, an investigation has found no record of such a call, Hsieh added.
He said he accepts criticism of himself and the Osaka office, and added that more could have been done to help Taiwanese stranded at the airport.
However, he slammed netizens for making false and defamatory statements.
The 24-7 emergency assistance hotline is meant to be used for Taiwanese facing life-threatening incidents overseas, he said, adding that many of the requests made to the office did not qualify.
Hsieh said he returned to Tokyo on Tuesday night from Osaka, where he went to handle the aftermath of Su’s death.
One of his deputies in Tokyo is to temporarily take over the Osaka post until the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appoints a new head, he said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS