Sources in Washington said that William Stanton, the US deputy chief of mission to Seoul, is no longer at the top of the list to replace American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Stephen Young when he steps down this summer.
The sources, who spoke on condition of strict anonymity, said Stanton's name had been withdrawn by the US State Department as a result of pressure from congressional members.
From the start, the State Department has refused to comment on the pending appointment and declined to confirm that Stanton was ever their candidate of choice or that he has been dropped.
“It's more than gossip and rumor, but I have not seen anything in writing,” one diplomatic source said.
“The word we are getting is that Stanton is no longer in the running,” a congressional source said.
Stanton came under fire in April after he allegedly made highly insensitive comments about two US journalists — Taiwanese American Laura Ling (凌志美) and Korean-American Euna Lee — who were arrested by the North Koreans on charges that they illegally entered the country.
He was said to have told a group of young congressional staff members visiting the embassy in Seoul that the women were “stupid” and that their case was “distracting from bigger issues.”
Earlier this week both women were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor and US President Barack Obama has become personally involved in trying to win their freedom.
US media have praised the pair's bravery and courage.
Republican Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, touched on the subject in a speech she was scheduled to deliver before a Heritage Foundation conference on Taiwan in Washington on Tuesday.
Because of a last minute scheduling conflict, Ros-Lehtinen was unable to attend the conference, but much of her speech was read by a senior staff member.
“One matter I wish to address, which was omitted in the original Taiwan Relations Act, is the desirability of having Senate confirmation required for the position of Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, as one would with any Ambassadorial position,” the statement read.
“[Former congressman] Mr [Tom] Tancredo put forward such legislation in the past Congress and I have heard that the Taiwan Congressional Caucus may consider similar legislation in the future,” it said.
“This would not only enhance Taiwan's desire for more international space but would also ensure that only the most qualified individuals are considered for the position,” it said.
“Not only has there been controversy about certain past directors, but my understanding is that the current leading candidate for that position made insensitive remarks about our two US citizens in North Korea sentenced only yesterday to years in the North Korean gulag, referring to them as 'stupid.' Is this the kind of representation we want in such a critical posting as Taipei?” the statement said.
STAY AWAY: An official said people should avoid disturbing snakes, as most do not actively attack humans, but would react defensively if threatened Taitung County authorities yesterday urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid disturbing snakes in the wild, following five reported snakebite cases in the county so far this year. Taitung County Fire Department secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) said two of the cases were in Donghe Township (東河) and involved the Taiwan habus, one person was bit by a Chinese pit viper near the South Link Railway and the remaining two were caused by unidentified snakes. He advised residents near fields to be cautious of snakes hiding in shady indoor areas, especially when entering or leaving their homes at night. In case of a
A tropical disturbance off the southeastern coast of the Philippines might become the first typhoon of the western Pacific typhoon season, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The system lacks a visible center and how it would develop is only likely to become clear on Sunday or Monday, the CWA said, adding that it was not yet possible to forecast the potential typhoon's effect on Taiwan. The American Meteorological Society defines a tropical disturbance as a system made up of showers and thunderstorms that lasts for at least 24 hours and does not have closed wind circulation.
ENERGY RESILIENCE: Although Alaska is open for investments, Taiwan is sourcing its gas from the Middle East, and the sea routes carry risks, Ho Cheng-hui said US government officials’ high-profile reception of a Taiwanese representative at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference indicated the emergence of an Indo-Pacific energy resilience alliance, an academic said. Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安) attended the conference in Alaska on Thursday last week at the invitation of the US government. Pan visited oil and gas facilities with senior US officials, including US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and US Senator Daniel Sullivan. Pan attending the conference on behalf of President William Lai (賴清德) shows a significant elevation in diplomatic representation,
Credit departments of farmers’ and fishers’ associations blocked a total of more than NT$180 million (US$6.01 million) from being lost to scams last year, National Police Agency (NPA) data showed. The Agricultural Finance Agency (AFA) said last week that staff of farmers’ and fishers’ associations’ credit departments are required to implement fraud prevention measures when they serve clients at the counter. They would ask clients about personal financial management activities whenever they suspect there might be a fraud situation, and would immediately report the incident to local authorities, which would send police officers to the site to help, it said. NPA data showed
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