Taiwan Foundation for Democracy’s (TFD) deputy executive directors Maysing Yang (楊黃美幸) and Tung Li-wen (董立文) will be removed from their posts at a board meeting on Tuesday, sources familiar with the matter said.
Sources said that soon after President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) came into office in May last year, he asked Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊) to negotiate with Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) — who doubles as TFD chairman — to remove ranking officials such as the executive director and deputy executive directors, but Wang did not agree.
Earlier this year, National Security Council Secretary-General Su Chi (蘇起) brought up the issue with Wang again, explaining why the members should be removed and how the Ma government felt the foundation’s activities were affecting its plans for a diplomatic truce and cross-strait reconciliation, the sources said. Wang did not give an affirmative response, the sources said.
The TFD has three deputy executive directors: Tung, Yang and Tsai Chang-yen (蔡昌言). The executive director is Lin Wen-cheng (林文程).
Sources said the personnel reshuffle issue would be announced at Tuesday’s meeting.
Local media previously reported that Ma was planning a personnel reshuffle at the foundation because he was unhappy about the organization providing financial support to Chinese democracy activists, Tibetan independence organizations and Cuban democracy activists.
The Presidential Office official denied that the upcoming personnel reshuffle was politically motivated.
The TFD was founded in 2003 under the then-Democratic Progressive Party administration using government funds, with the aim of promoting human rights and democracy around the world.
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