President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday expressed regret over the fate of New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who was given jail time for refusing to divulge the name of a source in an investigation into the leak of a CIA agent's name.
Chen made the remarks while attending a conference hosted by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in Taipei yesterday.
Chen said he looks forward to the day when Taiwan enjoys the the same level of press freedoms that are enshrined in the First Amendment of the US Constitution, and called the Times journalist's jailing "regrettable."
"Given the recent incident [the jailing of the reporter] for refusing to reveal her source, it is regrettable that the US government seems to have not fully implemented freedom of the press, as guaranteed by the First Amendment," Chen said.
Miller, a veteran reporter who covered the Middle East, was locked up on Wednesday and will be detained until she agrees to reveal her source in the controversial case, or until the mandate of the grand jury probing the matter expires in October.
Chen told conference attendants that with the lifting of martial law in 1987 and the removal of a ban on political parties and press restrictions, the holding of direct presidential election in 1996 and the transfer of power in 2000, the media has been a "catalyst and watchdog" in the country's transformation to a democratic system.
The president went so far as to say that given the choice between national security and press freedom, he would choose a free press over security issues. He then acknowledge that not everyone would agree with this view.
Chen also said that the freedom of the press is an indispensable link to the development of democracy, and called on the Taiwanese people to respect the press and for press freedoms to be protect by law.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS