Taiwan has “zero tolerance for domestic violence,” Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) said yesterday in response to a former health official saying that people beat their family members because they cannot hit the president and premier.
Former department of health minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良) made the comment at an event organized for Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) in Hsinchu City on Sunday.
When speaking about domestic violence, Yaung said that it exists “because the public is unable to beat up President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), as they have security escorts for protection. So people instead hit people who are weaker than them, by beating up their wives and children.”
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Late on Sunday evening, Presidential Office spokesperson Olivia Lin (林聿禪) asked Yaung to apologize.
“We strongly condemn those talking about domestic violence for derision purposes, using it to attack others, and Yaung should publicly apologize,” she said.
Hsueh said that Yaung was using partisan politics “to find excuses for domestic violence,” adding that “it is complete nonsense.”
“Although in the past people believed that ‘legal authority cannot apply inside family homes,’ it took a lot of work and quite a long time to change the public’s thinking [on domestic violence]. There can be no excuse for domestic abuse,” he said.
In response to media queries, Yaung yesterday questioned why he should apologize.
“I can speak out as a member of the public... Are we not in a democratic country?” he said.
“I don’t want to apologize. What can they do to me? Would the Presidential Office send people over to arrest me and throw me in jail?” he added.
Regarding the connection between domestic violence and Tsai, he said: “Right now Taiwanese are living under terrible conditions. Is this caused by me, or by that person in the Presidential Office? Those rotten eggs inside the Presidential Office are the ones responsible.”
On reports that advisers for Gou, who yesterday announced his intention to run as an independent in next year’s presidential election, want Yaung to apologize, he said “that is their business, not mine.”
“I believe what I said was correct. You cannot say it was a gaffe, just because the words are not pleasant for people to hear,” he said.
Meanwhile, health authorities urged the public to call the 113 hotline if they are in a domestic violence or abusive situation. They can also seek help at local government’s centers for prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Additional reporting by Jason Pan
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
RSS