President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) paid his respects to the late Huang Hsin-chieh (黃信介), his mentor and a pioneer in Taiwan's democratic development yesterday.
Accompanied by Huang's younger brother Huang Tien-fu (黃天福) and his widow, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lan Mei-chin (藍美津), Chen visited Huang's tomb at a cemetery in Pali (八里), Taipei County.
Chen kept a low profile during the visit.
PHOTO: WU CHIA-YI, TAIPEI TIMES
After burning incense and bowing before the late Huang's tomb, the president chatted with Huang's family members for 20 minutes, according to Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成), deputy secretary-general of the Presidential Office.
Chen made no public statement, but he prayed that Huang's spirit will give him strength and guidance to continue on the path of reform, Ma said.
Ma also quoted the president as saying that he couldn't come to Huang's cemetery earlier because he was in southern Taiwan stumping for DPP candidates, so he decided to visit yesterday, which was the 26th anniversary of the Kaohsiung Incident.
The incident, in which police cracked down on a peaceful rally to mark Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, 1979, is generally recognized as an important turning point in Taiwan's transition to democracy.
Chen said Huang, a former DPP chairman, is the perennial spiritual leader of the party, which stands for the pursuit of the ideals of democracy, freedom, human rights, social justice, protection of the disadvantaged, as well as Taiwan first, Ma said.
On questions regarding the administration's lineup now that Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) has stepped down as DPP chairman to take responsibility for the party's election loss and a possible Cabinet reshuffle, Ma said that the president will reveal his ideas after careful consideration.
Lan said the president has visited the late Huang's tomb every year since Huang passed away on Dec. 30, 1999 to pay his respects.
She said that the president shouldn't shoulder the responsibility for the election defeat alone, because he had worked hard during the campaign. She said the DPP should continue on the path of reform.
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,
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
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
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their