The Alliance Against the Legalization of Gambling yesterday accused the Lienchiang County Government — which administers the Matsu (馬祖) archipelago — of a conflict of interest involving Weidner Resorts, which has shown interest in building a casino resort in Matsu if a referendum approves it.
The group was referring to a report published by the Chinese-language Next Magazine yesterday, which said Lienchiang County Commissioner Yang Sui-sheng (楊綏生) has frequently participated in events organized by Weidner Resorts and handed out prizes such as iPads, cameras and stereos.
As a referendum on whether Matsu will allow a casino resort to be built is scheduled for July 7, the magazine questioned whether irregularities were involved.
“This is shocking to know, but not surprising,” alliance executive director Ho Tsung-hsun (何宗勳) said. “Yang should explain his relationship with Weidner Resorts within three days, otherwise we will file complaints with the Ministry of Justice and the Agency Against Corruption.”
Ho said Matsu residents who attended Weidner events told him that besides Yang, there were also county government employees at the venues distributing booklets encouraging residents to support casino resorts in Matsu.
“The county government should be neutral on the issue, it should not take sides, but obviously the county supports building casino resorts,” Ho said.
Alliance convener Shih Chao-hui (釋昭慧) said the group has repeatedly reminded Yang about the negative aspects of casino tourism.
“The resort is yet to be built and there’s already this corporation making unrealistic promises, deceiving Matsu residents,” Shih said.
“We hereby call on the county government to suspend the referendum before it’s too late,” Shih added. “It’s not just the commissioner’s name that could be destroyed, but the future of Matsu as well.”
Amendments to the Offshore Islands Development Act (離島建設條例) in January 2009 allow casinos to be constructed on outlying islands if local voters approve them in a referendum.
The first referendum took place in Penghu County in October that year, and 56.44 percent of the Penghu electorate voted against allowing casinos, while 43.56 percent voted for them, despite strong support for the proposal from the county government.
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
SILENT MAJORITY: Only 1 percent of Chinese rejected all options but war to annex Taiwan, while one-third viewed war as unacceptable, a university study showed Many Chinese are more concerned with developments inside their country than with seeking unification with Taiwan, al-Jazeera reported on Friday. Although China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary, 23-year-old Chinese Shao Hongtian was quoted by al-Jazeera as saying that “hostilities are not the way to bring China and Taiwan together.” “I want unification to happen peacefully,” Shao said. Al-Jazeera said it changed Shao’s name to respect his wish for anonymity. If peaceful unification is not possible, Shao said he would prefer “things to remain as they are,” adding that many of his friends feel
Taiwan has “absolute air superiority” over China in its own airspace, Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, amid concern over whether Taipei could defend itself against a military incursion by Beijing. Po made the remarks in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) on whether Taiwan would have partial or complete air superiority if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were to enter Taiwan’s airspace. Po, a retired pilot, said that the Taiwanese military has “absolute air superiority” over PLA
A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all