A number of pro-independence organizations yesterday called on the government to release former President Chen Shui-bian (蠊漵禶) from Taipei Detention Center, where he has been held in 〝detention for 499 days.
At a press conference in Taipei yesterday, political commentator Chin Heng-wei (旄恆煒) criticized the government for Chen＊s protracted detention, saying that it was based on political considerations because Chen no longer posed a flight risk.
Chen＊s family on Tuesday agreed to wire NT$700 million (US$22.1 million) from their Swiss bank accounts to prosecutors in Taiwan, citing comments made by a judge that the move could enhance Chen＊s chances of release when he comes up for review on April 23.
※Political interference from Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] politicians as well as external pressure from China are the only reasons that Chen＊s detention has continued indefinitely,§ Chin said.
In a statement released on Wednesday by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the party called for the courts to end Chen＊s detention in the interest of ※preserving Taiwan＊s democratic freedoms and ensuring the fairness of the judiciary."
Quoting DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (齍褙湞), the statement said: ※The indefinite detention of the former president has had a serious impact on the international image of and public confidence in Taiwan＊s legal system."
Both pro-independence organizations and the opposition party are asking the government to support a revision of the Code of Criminal Procedure (?瓿慴摜跏) that would impose limits on the length of time individuals can be held.
A joint statement released by the organizations yesterday said that any law that provides for ※indefinite periods of detention is a relic of the martial law period.§
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
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