Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday urged Hong Kongers to vote in the semi-autonomous city’s legislative elections on Sunday to “empower” a democracy which was once the pride of the region.
In an editorial piece published yesterday in Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, Tsai praised the former British colony and said it once served as the inspiration for Taiwan’s democratic movement.
“Hong Kong’s diversity and liberty was why we believed democracy could be established in Taiwan someday,” Tsai said.
Hong Kong was like a window from which Taiwan could breathe the fresh air of democracy because of the freedom of speech and freedom to publish that existed in the city half a century ago, she said.
However, Hong Kongers have had to face various challenges since the territory was handed over to China in 1997, Tsai said.
The former DPP chairperson said that she understood people’s sense of urgency about protecting freedom and democracy for the next generation, evidenced by recent hunger strikes staged by students, professors and civic groups in Hong Kong over a China-led curriculum change promoting party-state ideology.
“Everyone in Taiwan will extend this sincere suggestion, and blessing: Cast your vote on Sunday for you and for Hong Kong because participation will empower democracy,” Tsai wrote.
Citing the example of a mass protest against media monopolization that took place in Taipei on Saturday, Tsai said democracy has now become a value, a way of life and the only legal foundation of governance in Taiwan.
Civil participation has consolidated democracy in Taiwan and has empowered its civil society, she wrote.
The achievements of Taiwan’s democratic movement proved that the idea that Western-style democracy does not go well with the culture of Chinese (華) people was a fallacy, Tsai added.
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 US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative.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
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition