Former Taiwan Environmental Protection Union chairwoman Chen Jiau-hua (
In July, Chen allegedly led a 24-hour hunger strike in front of National Communications Commission (NCC) without a permit, indictment documents said, adding that despite three official warnings Chen had persisted with the rally.
Chen faces a maximum of two years in prison, the indictment says.
Chen told reporters at an environmental conference yesterday that she was protesting the NCC's issuance of Worldwide Inter-operability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) licenses to six telecommunication companies because "WiMAX towers emit electromagnetic waves of 4,000 to 5,000 microwatts per square meter, which is dangerous to human health."
"It was a peaceful demonstration because I was the only protester," she said. "I was pressed for time to protest before the issuance and did so to warn fellow Taiwanese."
WiMAX is a platform that supports outdoors wireless Internet broadband access, she said.
She also said: "People should know that in European countries such as Germany and Sweden, governments have been withholding WiMAX licenses before they can determine whether it represents a health risk to humans. Our government should do the same."
NCC spokesperson Howard Shyr (
"While safety precautions should be taken, the issue should be investigated objectively," he said. "One should not accuse WiMAX towers of causing illnesses such as cancer without evidence, as this could cause public anxiety."
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
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
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
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