The Cabinet's new Hakka Comm-ission (客家委員會) is expected to hold its founding ceremony today, realizing one of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) campaign promises.
The president has appointed lawyer Fang Kuang-chun (
Su also announced the appointment of Liu Yung-pin (劉永斌) as the commission's deputy head. Liu is currently president of the Taiwanese Hakka Association of the World (世界台灣客家聯合會).
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Fang, a national policy advisor to the president and a noted attorney, once served as a member of the president's advisory group on cross-strait relations, a member of the Judicial Reform Foundation and helped Chen draft national policies during the presidential campaign.
Fang has maintained a close relationship with Chen ever since Chen was Taipei's mayor.
But while Fang's political credentials and professional background are unassailable, some observers yesterday said that they were worried about his lack of previous involvement with Hakka affairs.
A former leader of the Hakka movement, Chung Chau-cheng (
However, he hoped that Fang would later demonstrate his enthusiasm in promoting the Hakka culture.
Echoing Chung's view, DPP legislator Hsu Chung Pi-hsia (
Nevertheless Wu Poh-hsiung (
In addition, Wu said that the commission should focus on preserving the Hakka language, religion and its folklore, "preferably by setting up academic research programs to further study Hakka culture."
"I hope the president will soon found the I-ming University [
Chung, the Hakka movement's former chief, said he expected the commission to coordinate with all Hakka groups in the country to promote Hakka identity.
Other members of the commission include former Hsinchu County commissioner Fan Chen-tsung (
Scholars on the commission include sociology professor at Academia Sinica Michael Hsiao (蕭新煌), environmental activist Tseng Kuei-hai (曾貴海), executive deputy director of the Hakka Monthly magazine, Jesse Fan (范振乾), and former DPP deputy secretary-general, Lee Wang-tai (李旺台).
There are more than three million Hakka people in Taiwan. The Cabinet has earmarked roughly NT$300 million for the commission.
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
WARNING: People in coastal areas need to beware of heavy swells and strong winds, and those in mountainous areas should brace for heavy rain, the CWA said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued sea and land warnings for Typhoon Ragasa, forecasting that it would continue to intensify and affect the nation the most today and tomorrow. People in Hualien and Taitung counties, and mountainous areas in Yilan and Pingtung counties, should brace for damage caused by extremely heavy rain brought by the typhoon’s outer rim, as it was upgraded to a super typhoon yesterday morning, the CWA said. As of 5:30pm yesterday, the storm’s center was about 630km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving northwest at 21kph, and its maximum wind speed had reached
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said that it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Ragasa this morning and a land warning at night as it approached Taiwan. Ragasa intensified from a tropical storm into a typhoon at 8am yesterday, the CWA said, adding that at 2pm, it was about 1,110km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip. The typhoon was moving northwest at 13kph, with sustained winds of up to 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA Web site showed. Forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said that Ragasa was projected to strengthen as it neared the Bashi Channel, with its 200km
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hualien and Taitung counties declared today a typhoon day, while schools and offices in parts of Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties are also to close Typhoon Ragasa was forecast to hit its peak strength and come closest to Taiwan from yesterday afternoon through today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Taiwan proper could be out of the typhoon’s radius by midday and the sea warning might be lifted tonight, it added. CWA senior weather specialist Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said that Ragasa’s radius had reached the Hengchun Peninsula by 11am yesterday and was expected to hit Taitung County and Kaohsiung by yesterday evening. Ragasa was forecast to move to Taiwan’s southern offshore areas last night and to its southwestern offshore areas early today, she added. As of 8pm last night,
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