■ Internal affairs
Priest gets residence status
Minister of the Interior Yu Cheng-hsien (余政憲) presented a permanent residency certificate to a 93-year-old Spanish Catholic priest yesterday in recognition of his devoted service to Taiwanese over the past seven decades. Montero Alvarez Constanatino traveled from Spain to Taiwan in 1932 to preach his faith. Over the past 70 years, he has dedicated himself to serving the people of Taiwan. In addition to religious work, Alvarez has also launched many charitable and community service programs. "We are grateful for your contribution to our society," Yu told Alvarez. For his part, Alvarez said he likes Taiwan and has accepted the island as his second homeland. Catholic authorities in Spain originally arranged for Alvarez to return to Spain after his retirement from cleric work. "But I have chosen to continue my service in Taiwan because I love the people of Taiwan," he said.
■ Nuclear power
Activists march in Taipei
Anti-nuclear activists gathered in suburban Taipei yesterday to continue their nationwide march to solicit support for a referendum on the fate of Taiwan's fourth nuclear power plant. It was the 11th weekend of action for the Association to Promote a Referendum on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant. The association, organized by former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄), originally planned to march every weekend for a year, but has now decided to complete the march earlier in May. But association officials said the goal of the 1,000km march remains unchanged, namely to ask the government to hold a referendum on the issue by at least 2004, when the country will hold its presidential election.
■ Aviation links
China to discuss links
Amid increasing calls for the opening of direct transport links across the Taiwan Strait, a deputy director of Beijing's Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is scheduled to visit Taiwan early next month, CAAC sources said yesterday. Bao Peide (鮑培德), one of the five CAAC deputy directors, will head a delegation of senior executives of China's three large civil aviation service groups to Taipei in early November to attend a seminar, said a CAAC official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said the Taipei seminar will focus on legal issues related to commercial flight services. "The agenda will center around compensation terms and standards for damage caused by air disasters or flight mishaps," he explained. Meanwhile, he said Bao is likely to meet with Taiwan officials to discuss issues related to the establishment of direct cross-strait air links.
■ Comfort women
Women donate palm prints
A women's rights foundation launched a "palm print" drive yesterday to enlist public support for former Taiwan comfort women in their efforts to get an apology and compensation from the Japanese government. The Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation (婦女救援基金會, TWRF) urged people in Taiwan to give their palm prints to symbolize their support for the former Taiwan comfort women's appeal to Japan for an official apology for the ordeals they endured during WWII. The palm print drive was launched in tandem with an exhibition in City Hall featuring historical documents and photos depicting the former Japanese colonial government's practice of forcing Taiwanese women into prostitution during WWII.
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