Amid finger-pointing between the ruling and opposition parties, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus yesterday apologized to the public for the kerfuffle at the CKS International Airport on Tuesday, saying it had seriously damaged the nation's image.
"We, as a responsible ruling party, feel sorry about what happened and condemn any form of violence," DPP caucus whip Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said. "We are in favor of meting out punishment to those held responsible in accordance with the law and urge agencies concerned to conduct a swift and thorough examination of the matter to prevent any similar occurrence from happening again."
Lai said it is not fair or correct to blame the violence on a single party or individual.
"Until the truth comes out, we hope opposition parties refrain from politicizing the matter and damaging the political climate, which is gradually turning congenial," he said.
Flanked by his colleagues who went to the airport to "see off" Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
"We strongly suspect they were gangsters," DPP Legislator Chen Chin-jun (
In addition to asking government officials to bring suspected gangsters involved in the tussle to justice, Wang condemned New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (
"Such venomous comments should have been uttered by such Taiwanese people as I, who was a victim of the infamous `228 incident' by the former foreign regime of KMT," Wang said.
"If I, as a Taiwanese, cannot stage a protest against Lien's attempt to fawn over China, I'd rather die," he said.
As Lien is due back next Tuesday, Wang said he will take two eggs to the airport to welcome him back, but that he will go alone.
DPP Legislator Pan Meng-an (
Huang Chung-yung (黃宗源), of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), said that both the pan-blue and pan-green camps should be held responsible and he would like to apologize to the public on his party's behalf.
He, however, charged that the pan-blue alliance had colluded with gangsters to beat up innocent people, including seniors. He also criticized the police force for doing a poor job in maintaining order.
Echoing Huang's opinion, TSU caucus whip Liao Pen-yen (
"We had warned the police to be aware of the infiltration of gangsters, but they turned a deaf ear to our warnings," he said.
In addition to asking Minister of the Interior Su Jia-chyuan (
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
RSS