A "martial law mindset" still exists in various aspects of Taiwanese bureaucracy 20 years after martial law was lifted, non-governmental groups said yesterday after examining events over the past year.
The Assembly and Parade Law (
The Assembly and Parade Law, passed in 1992, provides strict regulations for organizing demonstrations and requires that would-be demonstrators apply for a permit before holding a public gathering.
"The law places obstacle after obstacle in the way of demonstrations ... and gives the police too much power," said Liu Shu-ya (
Under the Assembly and Parade Law, police officers at the site of a protest have the authority to call off the demonstration if they deem an act there to be illegal, Liu said.
Simon Chang (
He said that one of the union's previous protests had not been declared illegal, even after union members threw eggs at police.
"But nowadays most of us have been arrested or prosecuted for violating the Assembly and Parade Law even though demonstrations are more peaceful," he said. "So what difference has the end of martial law made?"
Meanwhile, president of the Judicial Reform Foundation Lin Feng-cheng (
"After the Hsichih Trio were sentenced to death last month, the presiding judge said: `I could not find a reason to declare them not guilty,'" Lin said. "If a judge needs to find a reason to prove someone's innocence, the judiciary is obviously a remnant of martial law."
Lin was referring to three young men who were first convicted of murder 16 years ago in a case riddled with problems such as a lack of evidence and allegations that the defendants confessions were extracted through torture.
Although the three were acquitted in 2003 after a long struggle by human rights and judicial reform activists, the Taiwan High Court reversed the decision last month.
In related news, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday called on the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate, Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), to face up to history and correct the mistakes that the KMT made during its administration.
Martial law was imposed on Taiwan by the KMT regime from 1949 to 1987.
Lu, who is on a 12-day journey to three of the nation's allies in Central America and the Caribbean, made the remarks in Guatemala -- the last leg of her trip -- in response to questions about a series of activities organized by the KMT to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the lifting of martial law.
Additional reporting by Ko Shu-ling and CNA
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
Taiwanese officials are courting podcasters and influencers aligned with US President Donald Trump as they grow more worried the US leader could undermine Taiwanese interests in talks with China, people familiar with the matter said. Trump has said Taiwan would likely be on the agenda when he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) next week in a bid to resolve persistent trade tensions. China has asked the White House to officially declare it “opposes” Taiwanese independence, Bloomberg reported last month, a concession that would mark a major diplomatic win for Beijing. President William Lai (賴清德) and his top officials
The German city of Hamburg on Oct. 14 named a bridge “Kaohsiung-Brucke” after the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The footbridge, formerly known as F566, is to the east of the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district, and connects the Dar-es-Salaam-Platz to the Brooktorpromenade near the Port of Hamburg on the Elbe River. Timo Fischer, a Free Democratic Party member of the Hamburg-Mitte District Assembly, in May last year proposed the name change with support from members of the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union. Kaohsiung and Hamburg in 1999 inked a sister city agreement, but despite more than a quarter-century of
RSS