Family members of Liu Po-yan (劉柏煙), 80, who set himself on fire in a protest at Liberty Square in Taipei last Tuesday, said they could not afford the expensive treatment he needs and appealed to the public for donations.
Liu sustained second and third-degree burns over more than 80 percent of his body. He was in stable condition at National Taiwan University Hospital yesterday.
Liu’s protest was aimed at what he called the government’s affront to national dignity during the visit by China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林).
Born and raised in Nantou County, Liu had been a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) for 58 years.
His son Liu Feng-long (劉豐隆) said that while his father had sustained serious injuries in his self-immolation protest, he could not receive adequate doses of anesthesia because he suffered from low blood pressure, leaving him in excruciating pain.
Since Liu Po-yan was taken to the hospital, he has twice undergone surgery, costing a total of NT$110,000, Liu Feng-long said.
Although Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators and private individuals have donated NT$100,000 to help pay for Liu Po-yan’s treatment, Liu Feng-long said the family needed to reach out to the public for donations to help pay for further treatment.
Donations can be made by postal service wire transfer, and should include a note that the donation is for Liu Po-yan. Money can be paid into the account of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights (社團法人台灣人權促進會), account number 19066111.
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
Temperatures in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) climbed past 37°C yesterday, as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued heat alerts for 16 municipalities, warning the public of intense heat expected across Taiwan. The hottest location in Taiwan was in Sindian, where the mercury reached 37.5°C at about 2pm, according to CWA data. Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) recorded a temperature of 37.4°C at noon, Taitung County’s Jinfeng Township (金峰) at 12:50 pm logged a temperature of 37.4°C and Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) reached 36.7°C at 11:40am, the CWA said. The weather agency yesterday issued a yellow level information notice for Taipei, New
RSS