Taiwanese human-rights activists have launched a campaign in support of Gao Zhisheng (高智晟), a Chinese human rights lawyer who was forced to close his law office for one year after he appealed to the Chinese government to stop persecuting Falun Gong.
The Association of Falun Dafa Practitioners, based in National Taiwan University, made the announcement yesterday during a forum it held on cross-strait human-rights issues.
"While China hasn't ceased in its persecution over the past six years, the change of strategy from glaring repression to a clandestine crackdown has misled many people into thinking that it has softened its violence against Falun Gong," said Elvi Chang (張東旭), a representative of the task force on human rights of Taiwan Falun Gong.
Gao's case aroused wide concern for Falun Gong in the international community, with more than 43 lawyers from 13 countries jointly signing a letter addressed to the Chinese government, in which they demanded the authorities repeal Gao's shutdown order, Chang said.
The task force on human rights of Taiwan Falun Gong took the lead in joining the efforts of the international community by initiating their own signature drive expressing sympathy for Gao.
Gao got the shutdown order from China's Ministry of Justice late last month, shortly after he sent a letter of appeal to Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) and Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶).
The shutdown order, issued by China's Ministry of Justice, said that Gao's firm was being closed because he failed to re-register with the authorities after moving into a new office.
Chang, however, said that the international community had deep suspicions over China's claim.
"The US Commission on International Religious Freedom said in a letter to US President George W. Bush that the firm was discriminated against because some of its clients included practitioners of Falun Gong as well as an unregistered Protestant pastor," he said.
"The international organization Amnesty International also claimed that the move to close the firm came shortly after the firm's director sent an open letter urging the Chinese government to end its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China," he added.
Chen Kuide (陳奎德), executive chairman of the Princeton China Initiative in the US, said that Gao's case was just the tip of the iceberg.
"The violation of human rights in China is an institutional problem. To prevent its autocratic regime from collapsing, it will continue oppressing human rights," he said.
John Wei (魏千峰), an attorney, said that Taiwan has little understanding of the current human-rights situation in China, which is regrettable.
"Despite the difficulty of overhauling China's political institutions in the near future, it is very important for other free societies to keep overseeing and urging China to improve its human rights. It should be an issue of concern for the people of Taiwan," Wei said.
In related news, Zhao Yan (趙岩), a researcher for the Beijing bureau of the New York Times who has been imprisoned in China for more than a year, was named journalist of the year on Wednesday by the international press freedom advocacy group Reporters Without Borders.
Zhao, 43, was arrested in Shanghai on Sept. 17 last year, and accused of leaking state secrets. He is being held in Beijing and has not yet had a court hearing.
The accusation, which both Zhao and the Times deny, came 10 days after the publication of an article in the Times saying that former president Jiang Zemin (江澤民) had offered to give up his final leadership position. Jiang retired on Sept. 19. The newspaper has denied that Zhao provided that information.
When US President George W. Bush visited China last month, Zhao was included in a list of human-rights cases that were considered of particular concern to the US.
In its citation about the choice of Zhao for the award, Reporters Without Borders said, "As a journalist engaged in denouncing corruption in rural areas, Zhao Yan was the ideal victim for the secret services."
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
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
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
RSS