Nearly three hundred Taiwanese from all over the world gathered in Geneva on Sunday to support Taiwan's 9th bid to join the World Health Organization (WHO), while Taiwanese officials made their last request for Beijing to relent in its opposition to Taipei's participation in the health body.
"We have so many people campaigning for our health bid this year. They all paid for their trips to Geneva out of their own pockets," said Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉), executive director of the Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance in Taiwan, a Taiwanese NGO (non-governmental organization) that has been at the forefront of pushing for the country's entrance into the WHO since 1995.
Wearing green T-shirts printed with the slogan "Taiwan for WHO," groups of Taiwanese people stood on the sidewalks around Lake Geneva on Sunday afternoon distributing pamphlets and holding banners appealing for support for Taiwan's efforts to join the WHO.
PHOTO: MELODY CHEN, TAIPEI TIMES
"[WHO] says yes to Taiwan," read one of the banners. "WHO cares for Taiwan?" asked the other.
Members of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan and doctors and nurses from Tainan's Sin Lau Hospital, the oldest hospital in the country, were among those traveling to Geneva for Taiwan's health bid. They sang songs and danced to call for people's support for Taiwan.
Tsuang Ming-sion (莊明雄), superintendent of Sin Lau Hospital, said many more of his hospital staff wanted to join the activities in Geneva but could not come because he could only bring 26 people. The doctors and nurses, all in white, sang hymns and Taiwanese folk songs.
"I am impressed. I know they have a mission," said Jacek Stardbrat, a 30-year-old from Warsaw, Poland, after taking a pamphlet from a Taiwanese campaigner and listening attentively to her explanation of Taiwan's hope to join the WHO.
"I've heard a lot about Taiwan before. The Chinese have been maneuvering [against] Taiwan," said Stardbrat, who is now a Geneva resident.
As a crowd watched the Taiwanese groups dancing and singing, a police car pulled over and several Swiss policemen came out to demand that the performers stop what they were doing in ten minutes.
"They have to apply to the police for a permit ... This is the law," said one Swiss policeman, as one foundation member explained to him that the Taiwanese were only signing and dancing.
The Taiwanese campaigners wrapped up their activities shortly after the police arrived.
Meanwhile, Taiwanese officials, including Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Kau (高英茂) and Minister of Health Hou Sheng-mou (侯勝茂), called a press conference on Sunday afternoon requesting that China be sincere about its promise to help Taiwan enter the WHO.
Concerned about China's intention in signing a memorandum of understanding with the WHO Secretariat facilitating technical exchanges between Taiwan and the WHO, Kau questioned why China and the WHO Secretariat needed to keep the document's details secret.
Taiwan is treated as part of China in the memorandum, according to Taiwanese diplomats' understanding of the situation.
"Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) should come to Geneva to see how China oppresses the Taiwanese people," said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津).
Beijing promised Lien and Soong to help Taiwan participate in the WHO when they visited China. After failing to honor those commitments, Beijing's political manipulation to block Taiwan's application for WHO observership in Geneva has angered many Taiwanese campaigners, said foundation president Wu Shuh-min (吳樹民).
"China should act like a big country rather than constantly bullying a small nation like Taiwan," Wu said.
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
The Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
RSS