A group of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday called for a boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympics to protest against a Chinese government policy that would bar 43 categories of "unwanted" people from attending the games.
The Chinese Ministry of Public Security issued a directive to its agencies around the country in early April demanding strict background checks for anyone who applies for entry into the country ahead of the Olympics, the lawmakers said.
The directive lists Falun Gong practitioners, activists for an independent Xinjiang or Tibet, religious extremists and other categories of dissidents among those who will not be allowed to enter the country, they said.
"The whole world should refuse to be part of the games because the Chinese government initiated its boycott first," Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲), a DPP legislator-at-large nominee in January's legislative elections, said at a press conference.
Twu said "people of conscience" would be barred from entry.
"Who would support the kind of government that has used its authority to ruthlessly eliminate anyone who is not behind it?" Twu said.
DPP Legislator William Lai (
The Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong in China (CIPFG) is planning to hold a global human rights torch relay to draw attention to allegations of human-rights abuses.
The alternative torch relay is set to kick off in Greece next Thursday and cover more than a hundred cities in dozens of countries on five continents.
It will arrive in Taiwan next June.
The CIPFG was formed last year to enable persons around the world to help investigate the persecution of Falun Gong members in China.
Also present at the appeal yesterday was Rinzin Tsering, the chairman of the Taiwan Tibetan Welfare Association representing Tibetans in Taiwan.
He voiced his support for a group of 14 Tibetans in India who have been on a hunger strike since July 8.
The group is demanding accountability from China for its gross violations of basic human rights and freedoms in Tibet, Tsering said.
"[The hunger strike] is a message of support for the freedom of Tibet and our people's determination to fight for our cause to the end," he said.
He appealed to the international community to convince politicians and governments to pressure Beijing to respect human rights.
He also said that holding the Olympics in China was an injustice to the millions of people who have suffered under the Chinese regime and a betrayal of Olympic principles, as the event should be for people who love peace, friendship, human rights and democracy.
CHAOS: Iranians took to the streets playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei’s death on Saturday, while mourners also gathered in Tehran yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the US, throwing the future of the Islamic republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early yesterday. US President Donald Trump said it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. The announcements came after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue through the week or as long
An Emirates flight from Dubai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday afternoon, the first service of the airline since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday. Flight EK366 took off from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at 3:51am yesterday and landed at 4:02pm before taxiing to the airport’s D6 gate at Terminal 2 at 4:08pm, data from the airport and FlightAware, a global flight tracking site, showed. Of the 501 passengers on the flight, 275 were Taiwanese, including 96 group tour travelers, the data showed. Tourism Administration Deputy Director-General Huang He-ting (黃荷婷) greeted Taiwanese passengers at the airport and
TRUST: The KMT said it respected the US’ timing and considerations, and hoped it would continue to honor its commitments to helping Taiwan bolster its defenses and deterrence US President Donald Trump is delaying a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan to ensure his visit to Beijing is successful, a New York Times report said. The weapons sales package has stalled in the US Department of State, the report said, citing US officials it did not identify. The White House has told agencies not to push forward ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), it said. The two last month held a phone call to discuss trade and geopolitical flashpoints ahead of the summit. Xi raised the Taiwan issue and urged the US to handle arms sales to
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday said that it had confirmed on Saturday night with its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil suppliers that shipments are proceeding as scheduled and that domestic supplies remain unaffected. The CPC yesterday announced the gasoline and diesel prices will rise by NT$0.2 and NT$0.4 per liter, respectively, starting Monday, citing Middle East tensions and blizzards in the eastern United States. CPC also iterated it has been reducing the proportion of crude oil imports from the Middle East and diversifying its supply sources in the past few years in response to geopolitical risks, expanding
RSS