Former Presidential Office -secretary-general Chen Shih-meng (陳師孟) and other pro--independence activists yesterday told a gathering over afternoon tea that they had raised more than NT$23 million (US$769,000) for political commentator Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒) over the past week alone, easily beating the initial objective of NT$5 million.
Chin, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in August and is undergoing treatment, received a warm welcome when he appeared at the party and bowed to express his appreciation.
Chen said pan-green camp supporters had demonstrated their amazing mobilization power.
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
He said that despite Chin’s status as a “Mainlander,” the fundraising event had successfully dashed “ethnic barriers.”
“I am deeply touched by this,” he said.
Chin ran into financial difficulties because of several lawsuits that were filed against him.
Chen, along with Taiwan -Association of University Professors president Chen Yi-shen (陳儀深), Northern Taiwan Society chairwoman Janice Chen (陳昭姿) and other pro-independence activists, held a joint press conference on Monday last week to announce the fundraiser.
The gathering in Taipei was held to express their gratitude. Chen Yi-shen said Chin is honest and outspoken and that his pen is like the sword.
Although some people have suggested the fundraising event should continue, Chen Yi-shen said they had to stop the event yesterday because the initial goal had already been met.
The fact that the fundraiser easily beat its objective, was a demonstration of Taiwan’s social strength, he said.
The total funds raised in the space of a week were NT$23,626,693, excluding donations in foreign currencies.
Lu Shih-hsiang (盧世祥), -executive director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Media Excellence, praised Chin — who was too weak to make a speech yesterday — as “Taiwan’s democracy fighter.”
Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Taoyuan would issue a decision at 8pm on whether to cancel work and school tomorrow due to forecasted heavy rain, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said today. Hsieh told reporters that absent some pressing reason, the four northern cities would announce the decision jointly at 8pm. Keelung is expected to receive between 300mm and 490mm of rain in the period from 2pm today through 2pm tomorrow, Central Weather Administration data showed. Keelung City Government regulations stipulate that school and work can be canceled if rain totals in mountainous or low-elevation areas are forecast to exceed 350mm in
The Central Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) has made a three-phased compulsory evacuation plan for Hualien County’s Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) disaster zone ahead of the potential formation of a typhoon. The plan includes mandatory vertical evacuation using air-raid-style alarms if needed, CEOC chief coordinator Chi Lien-cheng (季連成) told a news conference in the county yesterday. Volunteers would be prohibited from entering the disaster area starting tomorrow, the retired general said. The first phase would be relocating vulnerable residents, including elderly people, disabled people, pregnant women and dialysis patients, in shelters and hospitals, he said. The second phase would be mandatory evacuation of residents living in
EVA Airways president Sun Chia-ming (孫嘉明) and other senior executives yesterday bowed in apology over the death of a flight attendant, saying the company has begun improving its health-reporting, review and work coordination mechanisms. “We promise to handle this matter with the utmost responsibility to ensure safer and healthier working conditions for all EVA Air employees,” Sun said. The flight attendant, a woman surnamed Sun (孫), died on Friday last week of undisclosed causes shortly after returning from a work assignment in Milan, Italy, the airline said. Chinese-language media reported that the woman fell ill working on a Taipei-to-Milan flight on Sept. 22
COUNTERMEASURE: Taiwan was to implement controls for 47 tech products bound for South Africa after the latter downgraded and renamed Taipei’s ‘de facto’ offices The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is still reviewing a new agreement proposed by the South African government last month to regulate the status of reciprocal representative offices, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. Asked about the latest developments in a year-long controversy over Taiwan’s de facto representative office in South Africa, Lin during a legislative session said that the ministry was consulting with legal experts on the proposed new agreement. While the new proposal offers Taiwan greater flexibility, the ministry does not find it acceptable, Lin said without elaborating. The ministry is still open to resuming retaliatory measures against South
RSS