Taiwan can serve as an example of religious freedom for China, US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback said in Taipei yesterday at the first regional religious freedom forum.
There is concern over crackdowns on religious freedom by Beijing, including its detention of more than 1 million Muslims, arrests of church leaders, interference with Tibetan Buddhist practices and reported torture of Falun Gong practitioners, Brownback said in a speech at the opening ceremony of the Regional Religious Freedom Forum with the theme “A Civil Society Dialogue on Securing Religious Freedom in the Indo-Pacific Region.”
With this year marking the 60th anniversary of the Dalai Lama’s exile from Tibet, Beijing should resume formal dialogue with him or his representatives immediately, Brownback said.
Photo: RITCHIE B. TONGO / EPA-EFE
The US supports the Dalai Lama’s “middle way” approach and Tibet’s meaningful autonomy, he said.
Governments and societies should collaborate to advance religious freedom, he said, adding that societies that allow religious minorities to fully participate can improve “peace, security and prosperity, like it has here in Taiwan.”
Asked at a news conference after the opening ceremony about how the US and Taiwan — the forum’s organizers — would encourage religious freedom in China, Brownback said that “holding up the example of Taiwan” would be one of the key ways to do so.
Taiwan’s religiously diverse society shows that beliefs are “not a threat to the government,” but rather “a building block for civil society,” he said, adding: “I don’t understand why in China they think it’s a threat.”
Asked how the the conference would help advance religious freedom, he said it is the first step to building an alliance of the government and individuals to oppose religious persecution.
Crackdowns on religious freedom by China are not only against the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but also against its own constitution, he said.
While China has denied persecuting people for their religion, Brownback said Chinese authorities should answer charges and help locate missing Muslims reportedly detained in camps in Xinjiang.
“I have got lists of hundreds of names of individuals. Where are they? What is happening to them? Why can’t their families find them?” he said.
Asked to comment on whether the forum would affect the US’ relationships with Taiwan and China, he said: “I don’t know if it does or does not.”
He is in Taiwan because the nation is a good partner that believes in the same values as the US, he said, adding that Taiwan has worked closely with the US and been excellent on human rights and religious freedom.
SECRET OUT: Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung yesterday accidentally revealed that the infections occurred at the ministry’s Taoyuan General Hospital The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported the fifth COVID-19 case in a cluster infection at a Taoyuan hospital, where four other medical workers were confirmed to have been infected over the past week. The latest case is a nurse who had tested negative on Tuesday last week, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, told a news conference. However, on Thursday, she developed symptoms, such as nasal congestion and a cough, and a second test yesterday found that she was infected, Chen said. She is the head nurse of a ward where two
VIGILANCE: While two of the cases are family members of a nurse, there is no sign of community spread and the source of infection is identifiable, the CECC said The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported four new domestic COVID-19 cases associated with a cluster infection at a Taoyuan hospital. Since the first case was identified on Tuesday last week, five healthcare workers — two doctors and three nurses — at the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Taoyuan General Hospital have tested positive for the virus. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that two of the four new cases are the husband and daughter of a nurse (case No. 863) who had earlier been confirmed to have COVID-19. The husband (case No. 864)
PILLARS OF DEMOCRACY: US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft posted online after the virtual meeting that Taiwan should be able to share its successes in global venues President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft yesterday held a virtual meeting, during which Tsai described Taiwan as a “force for good” that deserves a place on the world stage, while Craft reaffirmed Washington’s support for Taiwan’s international participation. The virtual talk was held at about 11am, after Craft’s trip to Taiwan was abruptly canceled. She had been scheduled to meet with Tsai in person at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday morning as part of a three-day visit to Taiwan. On Tuesday, the US Department of State canceled all of its planned trips, citing a need
‘CONTAINED’: The CECC is not considering locking down the hospital where the infections were detected, as their source has been found, Chen Shih-chung said The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported one new domestic COVID-19 case, a doctor at a hospital in northern Taiwan where three other medical workers were confirmed to have the disease over the past week. The new case — No. 856 — is a doctor who had treated a COVID-19 patient together with case No. 838, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center. Case No. 838, confirmed as a locally infected COVID-19 case on Tuesday, was the first case in the hospital cluster, and later infected his partner, who is a nurse at the same
RSS