Dozens of protesters yesterday marched in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, calling for an end to China’s opposition to Taiwan’s entry into the UN.
Marking Taiwan UN Day, an annual occasion started in 2007, participants in the protest said they wanted to see the Taiwanese public unite on the issue to put an end to Taiwan’s “international orphanage.”
“23 million Taiwanese love peace and have a responsibility to participate in [international] affairs and the upkeep of peace,” said a statement released by organizers, mostly from pro--independence groups.
PHOTO: LO PEI-DER, TAIPEI TIMES
“Taiwan is the country of all Taiwanese ... the people should work together to promote Taiwan’s entry into the UN,” the statement said.
Also attending the rally, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲) and former Government -Information Office (GIO) chief Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) later led the group to deliver a written statement to the ministry, which said that Taiwan should immediately step up its efforts to join the UN.
Addressed to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添), the document represented the will of Taiwanese, said a -representative from the Taiwan United Nations Alliance, which helped organized the march.
In the one-page document, the groups wrote that the government should once again make a solid push annually to join the organization, in a pointed reference to a decision earlier this year to cease requests for Taiwan’s allies to raise the issue.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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