President Chen Shui-bian (
"To have both late presidents Chiang Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo buried in Taiwan is the Chiang family's wish, and we should respect that," Chen said while attending an event hosted by the Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen to commemorate Chiang Kai-shek's 118th birthday yesterday.
The two Chiangs have for decades laid embalmed in temporary mausoleums. This July, Chiang Ching-kuo's widow, Faina Chiang Fang-liang (蔣方良) requested that they be buried in the military mausoleum on Wuchihshan.
Chen said that "for the sake of national unity and social harmony, I'd like to call on these people to be more tolerant and respectful."
He clarified that the current state burial of the State Funeral Law is very simple and solemn.
"According to current rules, the flag will be lowered to half-mast only on the day of the state funeral; flags will not be lowered to half-mast for 30 consecutive days nor will there be any suspension of entertainment events for 30 days," Chen said.
He was alluding to the ceremonial funeral which took place when Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975, during which public observances of the death included a period during which all TV programs were changed to air only in black and white, and flags were lowered to half-mast for nearly a month.
People First Party (PFP) Legislator Chin Huei-chu (秦慧珠) yesterday criticized Chen for his remarks, saying they were aimed at securing veterans' votes in favor of the Democratic Progressive Party in the December legislative elections.
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
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COLD FACTS: ‘Snow skin’ mooncakes, made with a glutinous rice skin and kept at a low temperature, have relatively few calories compared with other mooncakes Traditional mooncakes are a typical treat for many Taiwanese in the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but a Taipei-based dietitian has urged people not to eat more than one per day and not to have them every day due to their high fat and calorie content. As mooncakes contain a lot of oil and sugar, they can have negative health effects on older people and those with diabetes, said Lai Yu-han (賴俞含), a dietitian at Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. “The maximum you can have is one mooncake a day, and do not eat them every day,” Lai