The pan-blue camp yesterday criticized the government for not defending the rights of the Taiwanese fishing industry and standing up to Japan after Thursday's protest conducted by Taiwanese fishermen.
The protest came after Japanese patrol boats drove Taiwanese fishing vessels away from rich fishing grounds around the Diaoyutais in the East China Sea.
"Japan views the Diaoyutais as being under their jurisdiction, claims the neighboring waters as part of their economic zone and has strictly upheld their legal rights," said New Party Secretary-General Lee Seng-fong (
"The government also claims the Diaoyutais as our economic waters under our jurisdiction, and considers our fishermen's activities in that area legal," he said. "However, the government has not upheld the rights of our fishermen. Only by strictly exercising its administrative rights can we force the Japanese government to negotiate."
On Thursday, more than 50 Taiwanese fishing vessels staged a protest around the Diaoyutais and Penchiayu islets to vent their anger for having been previously driven off by Japanese patrol boats.
In response to the protest, the Taiwanese government called on the fishermen to be rational and give the government the space and time to negotiate with the Japanese government.
The Diaoyutais are regarded by the government as being under the jurisdiction of Ilan County and part of the nation's fishing grounds.
Speaking at the legislature yesterday, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
"The government may have other concerns, but as of yet we have not seen any actions showing its resolve to defend our sovereignty," Wang said. "The government should respond soon, declare its position to the international community and take action."
The People First Party (PFP) legislative caucus also criticized the government yesterday, saying that June 8 should be made a day of national shame.
At a press conference yesterday, the PFP said that if the government does not assert its authority, then it cannot be expected to negotiate with Japan on the issue.
The government's current actions, said PFP caucus whip Li Yong-ping (
The PFP will assist the fishermen involved in the protest in seeking compensation from the government, Li added.
Also yesterday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Joanna Lei (雷倩) urged the government to seek to participate in relevant world bodies as "an entity" in order to speak for the people in Taiwan in fishery disputes and other international issues.
Addressing the recent fishery, Lei said that it is extremely important for the government to seek participation in international organizations to voice the interests of the Taiwanese people and she called on the government to clearly underline the nation's stance on the issue in order to protect the interests of Taiwanese fishermen.
Although Taiwan is unable to join the UN and other international organizations as a result of pressure from Beijing, Lei prodded the government to do so as "an entity" on the grounds that protecting the people's interests is the top and the most urgent issue for the government.
Citing a notion advocated by Myres McDougal, a renowned authority on international law and the co-founder of the New Haven School, the KMT lawmaker explained that McDougal's method is oriented toward an attainable policy that respects human dignity, in contrast to the purely analytical forms that preceded it.
She contended that the government must seek a greater international presence to help the people of Taiwan reach out when facing difficulties in the international arena, despite the country's diplomatic isolation.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
RSS