Despite the strong winds and heavy rain brought by Typhoon Krosa, more than 100 Burmese and Taiwanese marched in Taipei City yesterday to support ongoing demonstrations in Myanmar.
In recent weeks, pro-democracy activists in Myanmar have staged protests against the military junta, which reacted by launching a violent crackdown.
To show their support for the pro-democracy movement at home, Burmese living in Taiwan organized a march as part of the worldwide Global Day of Action for Burma yesterday.
Dozens of countries around the world also held marches yesterday.
"Following nearly half a century of the junta's rule, Myanmar has become a horrible place to live in," said Lee Tse-cheng (李澤成), an ethnic Chinese who left Myanmar 13 years ago. "That's why we wanted to stand up and tell more people about the situation there."
Lee said that most Burmese who move to Taiwan are ethnic Chinese who speak Mandarin.
The demonstrators began their march at the Taipei City Council building and proceeded amid stormy weather and flooded streets.
"Free Burma! Free Aung San Suu Kyi!" they shouted.
Every Burmese participating in the march wore a Aung San Suu Kyi mask. Tsai Ya-ju (
"I'm here despite the stormy weather because I was really touched by the Burmese people who are so convinced to fight for their own country," Tsai said.
"I truly believe that the junta will collapse next year, and Aung San Suu Kyi and other democracy activists will be released," Tsai said.
Chung Wei-pei (鍾偉培), another Burmese man who attended the march, was jailed for two years in the late 1960s for being a member of an anti-government guerilla movement.
Chung sought asylum in Taiwan 19 years ago following his involvement in the 1988 anti-government protests.
"Abuse of civilians by soldiers for no reason is common in Myanmar -- that's why people continue to rise against the junta," Chung said.
"I'm glad to see that the scale of the protests is growing," he said.
After the march was finished, demonstrators paid their respects to the activists who had died during the violent crackdown, while Buddhist Master Shih Chao-hui (釋昭慧) chanted sutras.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
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
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
RSS