Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) International Affairs Department Director Hsaio Bi-khim (蕭美琴), who has been leading a volunteer effort in Tainan County, said yesterday that on Thursday 20 volunteers were stopped by the police from distributing goods to the residents in badly affected Pitou Borough (埤頭) in Tainan County’s Madou (麻豆) Township because President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was visiting the area.
“It was ridiculous that we couldn’t go inside the borough to give the victims what they need because Ma was there,” she said.
She said that more than 10 police formed a human wall to block them from entering even though they were delivering much needed water and cleaning agents, she said.
Meanwhile, the military was forced to temporarily suspend relief work and stood in full salute in strong heat for 40 minutes on Wednesday to welcome Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-ming (陳肇敏), who arrived in Taitung to survey the disaster areas.
To expedite the rebuilding process, the Hualien-Taitung Defense Command Center dispatched more than 40 soldiers to build a Bailey bridge to allow access for 18-tonne vehicles to Jhihben Township (知本).
On Wednesday at 10am, while the troops were setting up the steel frame, their commander ordered them to stop work and stand in formation to welcome Chen, who spent 40 minutes listening to briefings and talking to the press.
One witness said many of the soldiers had complained privately that they would have rather worked than stand and listen to the defense minister.
On Wednesday, flood victims hurled angry insults at Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng (王清峰), who went to the main rescue center and shelter in Cishan Township (旗山), Kaohsiung County, to pass out lunch boxes.
The victims told Wang there were enough volunteers and they did not need her to pass out food.
Wang jokingly responded that her purpose for being there was so that the victims could unleash their anger.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
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