The Taipei City Government yesterday accused the central government of violating the law by failing to acquire a permit for its UN torch relay next Wednesday.
The city government pledged to administer the law against the "illegal event."
"The Sports Affairs Council applied for the relay as a sports event, but everyone knows that it's a political event. The city government will not allow the [central] government to skip the application procedures and ignore our authority," Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) told reporters at the Taipei City Hall.
The council issued a document on Tuesday informing the city government about the relay next week -- which will begin in front of the Presidential Office and then march along Zhongshan S Road, Zhongxiao E Road and Nangang Road -- and asked the city government to provide assistance with the sports event.
Hau condemned the central government for violating the law, adding that holding a relay on busy streets during a weekday would would inconvenience city residents.
"Whether or not it's a sports or a political event, the government should apply for a road permit from the city government. We will not allow the government to keep violating the law," he said.
Yeh Chin-yuan (
It should have also presented a proposal on traffic maintenance during the relay to the city's transportation department one month before the event, Yeh said.
Yeh said holding the torch relay without applying for a permit in advance would be a violation of Article 183 of the Criminal Law, which states that people who endanger the public danger by damaging or blocking roads or bridges face a sentence of up to five years in prison.
Hau called on the government to reconsider holding the relay and vowed to exercise his full authority if the illegal event were to proceed.
At a separate setting yesterday, Peng Tai-lin (
Peng said those wanting to participate in the run can still do so on the designated day, since the road run is a sporting event for everyone.
No traffic controls are required during the run since participants should be able to handle their own safety by stopping at red lights, Peng said. He added that the council would also arrange to have staff help participants deal with traffic safety issues.
Additional reporting by staff writer
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
RSS