Calling President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) a human rights violator who had no right to talk about human rights, dozens of former political prisoners yesterday protested as the president delivered a speech at the Jingmei Human Rights Cultural Park as part of events to mark International Human Rights Day.
“You’re a transgressor!” “Ma Ying-jeou, step down!” “You don’t deserve to stand there and talk!” “We don’t want to listen to your lies!” the protesters shouted.
One after another the former political prisoners, their families and friends stood up from the audience and shouted as Ma took the podium at the inauguration of an exhibition on the White Terror at the former detention center in Sindian City (新店), Taipei County.
PHOTO: CNA
The White Terror refers to the period from 1949 to 1987 when martial law was in effect, during which tens of thousands of political dissidents and others were arrested, jailed, disappeared, executed or murdered with or without trial.
Ma continued his speech even as many of the protesters staged a walkout, leaving about one-third of the seats empty.
“I can understand why some of our friends have different voices. I appreciate that they are willing to come and I’m willing to listen to what they have to say,” Ma said.
Speaking to media outside the venue, Huang Shu-chun (黃淑純) said she could not bear to listen to the president talk as if human rights abuses were a thing of the past.
“Human rights violations are happening today and even if Ma talks about human rights, it’s gotten worse since he came into office,” Huang said. “Take freedom of the press for example. As reporters, don’t you feel there are more restrictions and government interference now?”
Lin Shu-chih (林樹枝), a former prisoner of conscience, said someone who had “no idea” about human rights and was one of the perpetrators of human rights abuses during the White Terror did not deserve to talk about human rights on Human Rights Day.
Ma, who studied in the US in the 1970s on grants from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), is alleged by many Taiwanese who were in the US at the same time to have been a “professional student” who spied on anti-government activities by other students.
Ma has repeatedly denied the allegation over the years.
The White Terror exhibition features books, sketches, pictures and personal items from political prisoners who were held at the Jingmei Military Detention Center. The exhibition will run until Dec. 10, 2012.
LEVERAGE: China did not ‘need to fire a shot’ to deny Taiwan airspace over Africa when it owns ‘half the continent’s debt,’ a US official said, calling it economic warfare The EU has raised concerns about overflight rights following the delay of President William Lai’s (賴清德) planned state visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini after three African nations denied overflight clearance for his charter at the last minute. Taiwanese allies Paraguay and Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as several US lawmakers and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) condemned China for allegedly pressuring the countries. Lai was scheduled to fly directly to Taiwan’s only African ally from yesterday to Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly revoked
The number of pet cats in Taiwan surpassed that of pet dogs for the first time last year, reaching 1,742,033, a 32.8 percent increase from 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday, citing a survey. By contrast, the number of pet dogs declined slightly by 1.2 percent over the same period to 1,462,528, the ministry said. Despite the shift, households with dogs still slightly outnumber those with cats by 1.2 percent. However, while the number of households with multiple dogs has remained relatively stable, households keeping more than two cats have increased, contributing to the overall rise in the feline population. The trend
China on Wednesday teased in a video an aircraft carrier that could be its fourth, and the first using nuclear power, while making an allusion to Taiwan and vowing to further build up its islands, as it looks to boost maritime power, secure resources and bolster territorial claims. The video, issued on the eve of the 77th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, featured fictional officers with names that are homophones of three commissioned aircraft carriers, the Liaoning (遼寧), Shandong (山東) and Fujian (福建). Titled Into the Deep, it showed a 19-year-old named “Hejian” (何劍) joining the group, sparking
Taiwan has signed six arms procurement offers from the US totaling more than NT$208 billion (US$6.59 billion) covering long-range precision strike systems, missile stockpile replenishment and joint production of large-caliber ammunition, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The government’s proposed NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget has been stalled in the Legislative Yuan as opposition lawmakers question the amount and procurement items, while the Presidential Office and defense ministry say that the full amount is necessary to safeguard Taiwan. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) on Monday briefed the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on the defense budget for
RSS