Tens of thousands of people participated in the Lungshan Temple march -- one of the ten routes of yesterday's rally against the "Anti-Secession" Law. The march was led by Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) lawmakers and two large images of the No. 7 Lord and No. 8 Lord. The two gods represent law and order, and their duty is going after evil spirits in the underworld.
Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), spiritual leader of TSU, told the media before proceeding to another segment of the rally that it's time for the government to think of new ways to deal with its bullying neighbor, China.
"The people of Taiwan must understand that Taiwan has been an independent nation and has recognized China as a nation since May, 1, 1991 when I announced the abolishment of the Temporary Provisions Effective during the `Period of National Mobilization for the Suppression of the Communist Rebellion' (動員勘亂時期臨時條款)," he said.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
As the move signified the termination of the status of civil war between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Chinese Communist Party, Lee said that there is no pro-Taiwan-independence power existing in Taiwan as China claims.
Lee also revealed that Taiwan Advocates (群策會), where he serves as a board director, is scheduled to hold a meeting today to review government policies and offer their suggestions.
The procession started at Manka Boulevard and Wanda Road and went on along Heping West Road before merging with another parade coming from National Taiwan University. The two processions then proceeded to the final congregation point near the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. When the procession reached Ningpo West Street, they used a boom truck to reach the street sign and cover it with a new one reading Democracy Road. Ningpo is a city in China.
They also changed Nanchung Street, also named after a Chinese city, to Freedom Road.
Manka Boulevard used to be called Shantou Street, after a Chinese city, but changed to its current name about three years ago.
Mark Cartwright, a 27-year-old English teacher from California, urged officials to refrain from being brash but to be swift and frank in issuing rebuttals in the face of China's "Anti-Secession" Law.
"It may be time for our members of government, led by our president, to set aside typical diplomatic inhibitions and declare as a matter of public record several truths that bear observing and acknowledging," he said.
Those truths include the fact that Taiwan is a sovereign nation, that the people of Taiwan democratically elect their president and that they serve in their nation's indigenous military, he said.
Failure by Taiwan's global neighbors to recognize these truths constitutes an irresponsible negligence that now threatens the safety and well-being of Taiwan's peoples and the stability of the East Asian region, he added.
"In the face of this present aggression by China, it is imperative that Taiwan's leaders act with immediacy to utterly dispel China's threats and false allegations," he said.
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
Taiwan's Gold Apollo Co (金阿波羅通信) said today that the pagers used in detonations in Lebanon the day before were not made by it, but by a company called BAC which has a license to use its brand. At least nine people were killed and nearly 3,000 wounded when pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated simultaneously across Lebanon yesterday. Images of destroyed pagers analyzed by Reuters showed a format and stickers on the back that were consistent with pagers made by Gold Apollo. A senior Lebanese security source told Reuters that Hezbollah had ordered 5,000 pagers from Taiwan-based Gold Apollo. "The product was not
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