A group of academics launched a signature campaign yesterday urging the Legislative Yuan to amend new legislation that they say infringes on their right to participate in political activities.
“Although it is necessary to regulate the political activities of public officials in a democracy, we believe the legislation is inappropriate as it deprives the right of numerous public servants and teachers to voice their opinions on politics,” Wu Nai-teh (吳乃德), a research fellow at the Institute of Sociology at the Academia Sinica, told a press conference.
Wu was referring to the Act Governing the Administrative Impartiality of Public Officials (公務人員行政中立法).
The Act prohibits academics from wearing or displaying flags or emblems of any political parties or groups at teachers’ or researchers’ offices. It also prohibits academics from convening demonstrations, launching signature bids and the editing, printing or distribution of political flyers or related documents using public equipment at public offices. The Examination Yuan and the Executive Yuan are also authorized to impose more bans through administrative orders.
Meanwhile, the legislature also passed a resolution requiring that the Ministry of Education submit a bill regulating the impartiality of all teachers to the legislature by September.
The academics yesterday panned the legislature for subjecting public school teachers who double as school administrators and researchers at public research institutes to the ban stipulated in the Act.
Wu Rwei-ren (吳叡人), an assistant research fellow at the Institute of Taiwan History at Academia Sinica, described the Act as “ridiculous” and suggested the government immediately “discipline” him as he could have violated the act by co-initiating the signature campaign.
“I bought a T-shirt from a friend recently that bears the slogan: ‘Taiwan belongs to the Taiwanese people (台灣是台灣人的台灣).’ I could be charged with violation of the Act if I wear the shirt at my research office because the slogan is clearly pro-independence,” he said. “I could also be seen as breaking the law by displaying the Tibetan flag at my office to mark the Tibetan Uprising Day on March 10 every year.”
Yen Chueh-an (顏厥安), a law professor at National Taiwan University, said the inclusion of researchers at public research facilities in the Act could be unconstitutional as Article 11 of the Constitution protects their freedom of speech and research.
In response, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Lin Yi-shih (林益世) questioned why the academics failed to voice their opposition to the Act when legislators were negotiating its content.
The ministry’s Department of Personnel also issued a statement later yesterday, saying that it would propose “the least stringent” regulations on teacher impartiality after deliberating over related regulations in “advanced nations.”
The regulations will not affect teacher working methods or infringe upon teachers’ freedom of speech or freedom to decide on teaching materials, the department said.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
RSS