Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday the party would stage a 24-hour sit-in protest in front of the Presidential Office following its rally on May 17.
“The government intends to pass the amendment to the Assembly and Parade Act [集會遊行法] before the May 17 rally, which is a sign that the government is returning to the authoritarian period,” Tsai said. “I have asked all officials and staffers from the party to stay and join the 24-hour sit-in protest on Ketagalan Boulevard after the May 17 rally finishes at 10pm.”
Tsai, who is visiting the US, told a press conference via teleconference yesterday: “The sit-in protest is aimed at breaking the restrictions of the Assembly and Parade Act.”
Tsai was referring to an amendment proposed by the Cabinet that would give police the right to prevent a rally or change its route if they deemed it a threat to national security, social order or the public interest. The proposal would also give police the authority to break up any rally that blocked traffic.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) last month urged the legislature to pass two UN covenants, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Tsai said, “yet the proposed amendment obviously violates the treaties.”
“‘Return the streets to the people’ was a campaign promise of Ma’s, yet it has become a political joke” because the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) wants to restrict the public’s right to take to the streets, she said.
The theme of the May 17 rally will be to protest against the government’s China policies and call on the government to protect Taiwan’s democracy, freedom and sovereignty, Tsai said, adding that it would be peaceful.
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
Authorities have detained three former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TMSC, 台積電) employees on suspicion of compromising classified technology used in making 2-nanometer chips, the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday. Prosecutors are holding a former TSMC engineer surnamed Chen (陳) and two recently sacked TSMC engineers, including one person surnamed Wu (吳) in detention with restricted communication, following an investigation launched on July 25, a statement said. The announcement came a day after Nikkei Asia reported on the technology theft in an exclusive story, saying TSMC had fired two workers for contravening data rules on advanced chipmaking technology. Two-nanometer wafers are the most
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
RSS