William Hoyle's letter accusing the DPP of weakening democratic processes by subverting them (Letters, Jan. 31, page 8) stands reality on its head.
Hoyle says that talk of snap elections and referendums shows contempt for democratic institutions. Earth to Hoyle: referendums and snap elections ARE democratic institutions, used regularly in Western democracies. The DPP is not subverting the system for short-term political gains, it is trying to make a faulty system work for long-term political growth. Making changes means making hard choices. Cutting worthless projects filled with kickbacks is an important step in eliminating corruption from the system. It is not undermining democracy, but fostering it.
Finally, Hoyle argues that discussion of the pros and cons of building the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (
Michael A. Turton
Leander, Texas
Singapore a worthy model
I write in response to the article by Nan Fang-shuo
As a Singaporean, I consider it my duty to point out to Nan that Singapore welcomes foreign media to report on its politics, economics, financial system or anything else, only if that report is based on facts and with evidence to substantiate those facts. If any foreign reporter is prepared to present facts and evidence, then I do not see why he should be afraid of losing his skin! A responsible reporter should exercise care and discretion in deciding what to report and what not to report so that national and social security will not be the price one has to pay in the pursuit of freedom of press.
Thanks to Lee [Kuan Yew, 李光耀], Singapore is a well-controlled society and I am proud of that. Because Singapore is a well-controlled society, we do not see slander lawsuits as often as in Taiwan and citizens feel safe to walk the streets at night. This has helped Singapore to develop from one of the poorest nations in the 1960s to one of the wealthiest, with a GDP per capita twice as high as Taiwan's. It is also because Singapore is well-known for its control that the number of people wanting to migrate to Singapore far exceeds the number who want to leave Singapore.
If Taiwan had ever tried to copy Singapore, I believe it would be a safer and healthier place to live.
Michael B C Teo
Taipei
Falun Gong defended
I am writing in response to a letter from Christopher MacDonald concerning Falun Gong (Letters, Jan. 26, page 8).
MacDonald's words sound like they could be hot off the press from the latest piece of Beijing propaganda slandering Falun Gong, it's leader and it's practitioners.
I invite MacDonald to learn the truth about Falun Gong. He has clearly been misinformed. The free press around the world is telling a completely different story than he tells. From where does he get his information? Certainly not from anyone truly familiar with Falun Gong.
People in China are being arrested, jailed and tortured by the thousands simply because they practice Falun Gong, a mind, body, spirit cultivation system embracing as it's fundamental teaching the characteristic of the universe: Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance.
In peaceful and non-violent appeals for justice, Falun Gong practitioners around the world step forward to reveal the truth about the persecution in China.
The best way to learn about Falun Dafa is to meet a few practitioners. Read one of the books, maybe even learn the exercises. It's free and all the information you need can be found at www.FalunDafa.org. If you'd like to learn more about the frightening human rights situation in China and the free world's increasingly vocal opposition, visit www.FalunInfo.net.
Ian Oliver
Calgary, Canada
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
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As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing