Thrown off the bus
I was taking the bus on Thursday morning from Danshui MRT Station to Motian 31, the same bus I take almost every morning, the R36.
The bus also makes a stop in Tamsui at Tamkang Senior High School and Aletheia University. Once the bus stops at this stop, the students get off and I am left on the bus with maybe one or two other people.
Thursday morning was different. Once all of the students got off, I was alone.
The bus driver started giving me nasty looks and shooing me off the bus with hand gestures. He was very unpleasant about it. I sat there for a minute because I did not understand what was going on. His looks got meaner, until finally he forced me off the bus. I was left stranded on the side of the road.
I am still in disbelief.
What if I had not had any money with me? What if I was a child? (Two stops away is an elementary school) I would never have been able to walk the distance to work and make it on time. Not only did I have to pay the bus fair, but also for a NT$100 cab ride.
It is exceptionally sad when you realize that you are not safe taking public transportation.
Valerie Caroon
New Taipei City
Scientology suit frivolous
I write in response to the AP article, “US couple sues Church of Scientology over donations” (Jan. 25, page 7).
Our Church lawyer just recently served the papers on this suit: “We understand that this has to do with fundraising and we can unequivocally state all funds solicited are used for the charitable and religious purposes for which they were donated. To see the church’s world renowned humanitarian programs visit www.scientology.org. This frivolous suit was generated by the same group of anti-scientology apostates who recently lost another frivolous lawsuit and were ordered by a federal court to pay the church more than [US]$40,000. The statements to the media made about the church and its ecclesiastical leader by these bitter individuals are blatantly false.”
Stephanie Tsai
Church of Scientology
Greater Kaohsiung
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
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
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
A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers led by the party’s legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) are to visit Beijing for four days this week, but some have questioned the timing and purpose of the visit, which demonstrates the KMT caucus’ increasing arrogance. Fu on Wednesday last week confirmed that following an invitation by Beijing, he would lead a group of lawmakers to China from Thursday to Sunday to discuss tourism and agricultural exports, but he refused to say whether they would meet with Chinese officials. That the visit is taking place during the legislative session and in the aftermath