Thousands of people yesterday rallied outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, demanding that the Hong Kong government withdraw its controversial extradition bill and release protesters arrested in connection with demonstrations in the territory last week.
The rally organized by Hong Kong students, the Taiwan Citizen Front and the Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy (TYAD), drew more than 10,000 people despite scorching heat, organizers said.
Although Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) on Saturday said that the reviews of the bill in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council would be suspended, it was not withdrawn, said TYAD member Michelle Wu (吳奕柔), who is also president of the National Taiwan University Student Association.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
If passed, the bill would allow anyone arrested in Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China for trial, subjecting them to that nation’s notoriously opaque judicial system, she said.
“We urge Carrie Lam to immediately promise to withdraw the bill, take responsibility for the violent crackdowns that escalated clashes between police and protesters, stop persecution of protesters, cease unwarranted searches and thoroughly investigate officers involved in police violence,” Wu said.
Hong Kong’s experience should serve as a warning for Taiwanese, proving that Beijing’s “one country, two systems” arrangement cannot be trusted, said Hong Kong Independence Union convener Wayne Chan (陳家駒), who was arrested in Hong Kong on Sunday last week for joining protests against the bill and released on bail the following day.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
He used to believe that the arrangement would protect Hong Kongers’ freedom, ensure democracy and the rule of the law in the territory, he said.
“However, today we cannot even speak out loud the truth we believe in, or express our expectations for Hong Kong’s future,” he said.
He will soon return to Hong Kong to face investigation from the authoritarian government, he said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
“I do not know whether the government would again shoot and arrest people for going on strike, but we Hong Kongers will fight to the end no matter what,” he said.
Taiwan and Hong Kong must stand in solidarity in their fight against Beijing, both being victims of China’s imperialism, said Wu Ruei-ren (吳叡人), an associate research fellow at Academia Sinica Institute of Taiwan History.
China expands its authoritarianism by promoting the “one country, two systems” framework, which is in reality a form of imperialism and colonialism, he said, adding: “Hong Kong deserves a second chance to realize self-determination.”
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The Taipei rally, which began at 2pm, lasted more than three hours before ending with people placing white flowers and paper cranes in front of a stage on Jinan Road to condemn police violence against the protesters in Hong Kong and offer condolences for a Hong Kong man who died on Saturday after falling from scaffolding in the Admiralty district after he hung a banner opposing the extradition bill.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo on Friday expressed concern over the rate at which China is diversifying its military exercises, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Saturday. “The rates of change on the depth and breadth of their exercises is the one non-linear effect that I’ve seen in the last year that wakes me up at night or keeps me up at night,” Paparo was quoted by FT as saying while attending the annual Sedona Forum at the McCain Institute in Arizona. Paparo also expressed concern over the speed with which China was expanding its military. While the US
‘FALLACY’: Xi’s assertions that Taiwan was given to the PRC after WWII confused right and wrong, and were contrary to the facts, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday called Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) claim that China historically has sovereignty over Taiwan “deceptive” and “contrary to the facts.” In an article published on Wednesday in the Russian state-run Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Xi said that this year not only marks 80 years since the end of World War II and the founding of the UN, but also “Taiwan’s restoration to China.” “A series of instruments with legal effect under international law, including the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Declaration have affirmed China’s sovereignty over Taiwan,” Xi wrote. “The historical and legal fact” of these documents, as well
RSS