Several university student groups in the central and southern parts of the country launched sit-ins yesterday in support of the student demonstrators at Liberty Square in front of National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall.
Holding up posters that read “human rights,” about 20 students launched their sit-in campaign in front of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Tainan amid drizzling rain.
“We support the three statements of [the students] in Taipei. President Ma [Ying-jeou (馬英九)] and [Premier] Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) should apologize to the people while [National Police Agency (NPA)] Director-General Wang Cho-chiun (王卓鈞) and [National Security Bureau] Director-General Tsai Chao-ming (蔡朝明) should step down,” Huang You-heng (黃羑衡), the spokesman for the protesters at NCKU, told reporters.
PHOTO: CHAN CHAO-YANG, TAIPEI TIMES
“We hope similar campaigns will be launched at every university in Taiwan,” Huang said.
Meanwhile, a group of students began another sit-in at the Peoples’ Square in Taichung City yesterday afternoon in support of their counterparts in Taipei.
TAIPEI
PHOTO: CNA
About 400 students, led by National Taiwan University sociology professor Lee Ming-tsung (李明璁) began their silent sit-in on Thursday in front of the Executive Yuan in Taipei.
The protesters have argued that police used excessive force against demonstrators opposing the visit of China’s Association for the Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) between Monday and Friday last week.
The students urged the government to amend the Assembly and Parade Law (集會遊行法) by removing the article that obliges rally organizers to gain police approval before launching an event.
The students were evicted from the Executive Yuan by the police on Friday night because they had not filed an application for their sit-in in accordance with the Assembly and Parade Law.
They reassembled at Liberty Square later that night.
RAIN OR SHINE
The sit-in at the square has continued, despite poor weather.
“Many people think we are staging the protest against a specific political camp. Therefore, we would like to emphasize our call for an amendment to the Assembly and Parade Law,” said Chou Fu-yi (周馥儀), a representative of Taipei students.
Chou said no government officials — except director of Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall Tseng Kun-ti (曾坤地) — had checked on them since they reconvened at the hall.
Ho Tung-hung (何東洪), an associate professor of psychology at Fu Jen Catholic University and a participant in the Wild Lily Student Movement (野百合學運) in the 1990s, visited the students in Taipei to share his experiences yesterday, encouraging them to cherish their opportunity to participate in the sit-in.
Wu Eing-ming (吳英明), president of Kaohsiung Open University, also visited the students on behalf of Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊).
Wu lauded the students’ action, saying that their campaign showed the nation should spend next year “relearning the value of human rights.”
In related developments, heated exchanges between government officials and legislators were expected to take place in the legislature today as the Internal Administration Committee has convened a special report by Wang regarding the NPA’s behavior last week.
For his part, Minister of Health Yeh Chin-chuan (葉金川) is scheduled to report today on the food safety agreement signed by Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Ping-kun (江丙坤) and Chen Yunlin last week to the legislature’s Health, Environment and Labor Committee.
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
Tigerair Taiwan and China Airlines (CAL) today announced that several international flights were canceled or rescheduled due to Typhoon Ragasa. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has maintained sea and land warnings for the typhoon. Its storm circle reached the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) on Taiwan's southern tip at 11am today. Tigerair Taiwan said it canceled Monday's IT551/IT552 Taoyuan-Da Nang, IT606/IT607 Taoyuan-Busan and IT602 Taoyuan-Seoul Incheon flights. Tomorrow, cancelations include IT603 Seoul Incheon-Taoyuan, as well as flights between Taoyuan and Sapporo, Osaka, Tokyo Narita, Okinawa, Fukuoka, Saga, Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Asahikawa and Jeju. On Wednesday, the IT321/IT322 Kaohsiung-Macau round-trip would also be canceled. CAL announced that today's
About nine Taiwanese are “disappeared,” detained, or otherwise deprived of freedom of movement in China each month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Between Jan. 1 last year and Aug. 31 this year, 188 Taiwanese travelers went missing, were detained and interrogated, or had their personal freedom restricted, with some questioned in airports or hotel lobbies, the council said. In a statement ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the council urged people visiting China for any reason to be highly vigilant and aware of the risks. Of the reported cases, 50 people were “disappeared” after entering China, 19 were detained and 119 had