Former Associated Press (AP) reporter Tina Chou (周清月), who did not attend the human rights conference held by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy last week, described her conflict with the KMT government during the Martial Law period with a paper presented at the conference.
Chou ran into trouble when she used the word "autopsy" when reporting the case of Chen Wen-chen's (
Chen was a political dissident who returned from the US in May 1981 to visit his family, but he was found dead on the National Taiwan University campus two months later.
There was wild speculation about Chen's death, and some suspected that his death was not natural and politically motivated.
Two US experts came to examine Chen's body and performed an autopsy, but the government denied this and after publication of Chou's story, the Government Information Office (GIO) revoked her press credentials on the basis that she wrote a "fabricated" report.
"It didn't make a difference at all that Prof. De Groot and Dr. Wecht announced their finding that Chen Wen-chen was a victim of homicide, suffering a severe beating prior to his death," Chou wrote.
Later the government and AP came to a compromise, and Chou was allowed to resume her career in 1982. She relocated to India in 1983.
"In 1986, after obtaining the GIO's consent, the AP transferred me back to Taiwan to head the Taipei bureau. On my first day at work I received word from the GIO, informing me that I would not be allowed to work as a journalist because I had never been reinstated," Chou said in the paper. "Thoroughly dismayed and frustrated, I left Taiwan for good."
Chou originally accepted the invitation to come back and tell her story in person at the conference, but pulled out in the end.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
RSS