Amnesty International (AI) yesterday called on the Chinese government to release all people imprisoned during the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy protests and arrest those responsible for the June 4 massacre.
"Tiananmen clearly remains very much alive today for the Chinese public and the demands by Chinese citizens for justice continue," the London-based rights group said in a statement. "We reiterate our call on the Chinese government to conduct an independent inquiry into the killing of unarmed students and demonstrators. Those found responsible should be tried and brought to justice."
"We also call on the government to release all those who are still imprisoned in connection with the Tiananmen crackdown and who never received fair trials," it said.
China's communist government has taken the position that concerns regarding the crackdown are "outdated," while maintaining that without it China would not have been able to enjoy 16 years of robust economic growth. It repeated that position on Thursday.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of unarmed students and demonstrators were gunned down in central Beijing when tanks were sent in to end the six-week long protests.
"The on-going passion that surrounds the issue in China is clear from the continuous string of detentions of citizens who seek to post information on the Internet regarding the dead or missing from 1989," Amnesty said.
The group listed several Chinese recently jailed for opposing the government's handling of the protests and also cited the continued harassment of a group of relatives of June 4 victims, known as the Tiananmen Mothers.
"The Tiananmen Mothers group was set up by Ding Zilin (丁子霖) after her son was killed in Beijing on 4 June, 1989, and has never ceased to call for an independent review of the events of 1989," it said of the Nobel Peace Prize nominee.
Also see stories:
Chen wants to see democracy in China
RESPONSE: The transit sends a message that China’s alignment with other countries would not deter the West from defending freedom of navigation, an academic said Canadian frigate the Ville de Quebec and Australian guided-missile destroyer the Brisbane transited the Taiwan Strait yesterday morning, the first time the two nations have conducted a joint freedom of navigation operation. The Canadian and Australian militaries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Ministry of National Defense declined to confirm the passage, saying only that Taiwan’s armed forces had deployed surveillance and reconnaissance assets, along with warships and combat aircraft, to safeguard security across the Strait. The two vessels were observed transiting northward along the eastern side of the Taiwan Strait’s median line, with Japan being their most likely destination,
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RSS