Human rights activists urged President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday to press China on political reforms in the speech he gives on his inaugural for a second term on May 20.
Two recent events in China — the dramatic escape of blind human rights activist Chen Guangchen (陳光誠) from illegal house arrest and a deadly clash between Chinese and ethnic Uighurs in Xinjiang Province — revealed worsening human rights conditions in the country, the activists said.
“As the beacon of democracy in the Chinese-speaking world, Taiwan needs to weigh in on rights issues to show our commitment to democracy,” said Paul Lin (林保華), president of the Taiwan Youth Anti-Communist Corps.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Ma should press Beijing on the issue of political reforms, and the ideal platform would be Ma’s inauguration speech on May 20, Lin said at a press conference prior to his departure for Tokyo to attend the general assembly of the World Uighur Congress from Monday to Thursday.
Speaking at the same press conference, Taiwan Friends of Tibet chairwoman Chou Mei-li (周美里) said the human rights situation in China demands immediate attention.
The self-immolation of Tibetan monks in protest against Beijing’s rule is an example of the problem there, she said.
“There is so much suppression in China that is not being noticed,” Chou said.
“It’s an important issue to the global community and we should take part in changing that situation,” she added.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard