More Taiwanese spectators at the Paris Olympics have reported having signs and banners confiscated by security staff or snatched by Chinese fans.
Sandy Hsueh (薛雅俶), president of the Taiwanese Association in France, said that three security personnel confiscated a blank piece of cardboard from her at Sunday’s men’s doubles badminton final, in which Taiwan’s Lee Yang (李洋) and Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) defeated China’s Liang Weikeng (梁偉鏗) and Wang Chang (王昶) to win their second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the event.
A staff member told her they had “received an instruction from the Olympic Games saying that anything related to Taiwan or showing Taiwan cannot appear,” Hsueh said.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
“Obviously we were targeted because Chinese fans were sitting in the front row seat on the lower level holding a Chinese national flag that exceeded the size allowed by the IOC” (International Olympic Committee), she said.
Although she reported the oversized Chinese flag, she said venue staff took no action over the banner.
Many spectators recorded evidence of a Chinese woman holding a mobile phone, who stood next to the security personnel and directing them to confiscate signs and banners from Taiwanese supporters, Hsueh said.
Another supporter took pictures of the woman thanking the staff and volunteers after the game and giving them badges, she said.
The incidents follow similar scenes during Lee and Wang’s semi-final on Friday, when a Taiwanese spectator’s banner was snatched by an unidentified man, who was reportedly ejected by venue staff.
At the same event, a towel with the word “Taiwan” printed on it was confiscated from a Taiwanese supporter by venue staff.
Hsueh said she believes that China’s interference has gone beyond the scope of the IOC framework on fairness, inclusion and nondiscrimination.
A Chinese human rights advocate who asked not to be identified said that the government in Beijing dispatches people to Olympic events in which Taiwan participates to scrutinize flags and report them to the IOC.
Under IOC rules, spectators are prohibited from displaying flags or signs with political messages or that support entities not competing in the Olympics.
Taiwan has participated in the Olympic Games as “Chinese Taipei” since 1984, with athletes competing under the Chinese Taipei Olympic flag. Prior to that it participated as “Formosa” and “Taiwan.”
“When facing the Chinese team, the IOC will treat Taiwan very harshly. Five-star [Chinese] flags were everywhere in the stadium, but our signs bearing even the words ‘jia you’ [加油, an expression of encouragement] were taken away,” Representative to France Francois Wu (吳志中) said on Sunday.
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe (李延賀) has been sentenced to three years in prison, fined 50,000 yuan (US$6,890) in personal assets and deprived political rights for one year for “inciting secession” in China, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said today. The Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court announced the verdict on Feb. 17, Chen said. The trial was conducted lawfully, and in an open and fair manner, he said, adding that the verdict has since come into legal effect. The defendant reportedly admitted guilt and would appeal within the statutory appeal period, he said, adding that the defendant and his family have
RSS