The Dalai Lama has expressed his gratitude to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) for supporting the recent changes to the Tibetan political system, the DPP said yesterday.
“Thank you for your recent letter of August 2011 highlighting my recent decision to strengthen the democratic system of the Tibetan community by transferring power to a democratically elected leader,” Dalai Lama wrote in a letter to Tsai.
The Tibetan leader offered his best wishes to Tsai for “continued success” in her work for the Taiwanese.
The Dalai Lama said he “voluntarily, proudly and happily took the decision of ending the 369-year-old tradition of the Dalai Lamas holding the dual responsibility of temporal and spiritual affairs.”
The DPP also took the opportunity to again call for China to respect human rights and freedom of speech and religion, saying that its hard-line position toward the incarnation of the Dalai Lama and its continued suppression of the Tibetans undermines the international image China has been trying to build.
The party expressed its disappointment over South Africa’s failure to grant the Dalai Lama a visa, which forced the cancelation of his meeting with fellow Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, under Chinese pressure.
China’s interference is a violation of human rights, the DPP said, and the civil rights and democratic development of every country should be protected by the international community.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white