After a recent e-mail from the Ministry of Education to school administrations asking them to show “concern” for student protesters caused a public uproar, a student rights advocacy group yesterday called on the ministry to show its support for student movements through policies, not e-mail.
“While the ministry called on school administrations to show ‘concern’ to students taking part in protests through an e-mail, the reality is that the ministry has not shown any true concern for the students; instead, it is allowing some universities to repress student movements,” Chang Fu-shun (張復舜), a medical student at Chang Gung University (CGU) and a spokesperson for the Student Rights Team, said through a press statement.
“We believe the ministry was motivated to send the e-mail by the fear of being held responsible by students’ parents and an authoritarian mentality,” Chang said.
Chang said the ministry is afraid that it may become the target of criticism from parents who do not support their children’s participation in student movements.
As such, it wanted written proof that it is paying close attention to what students are doing.
On the other hand, in the context of student movements, the term “concern” is often associated with threats and attempts by schools to bar students from taking part in demonstrations.
“For example, some universities would impose stricter curfews in student dorms because they are ‘concerned’ about students’ safety at night. CGU cuts the Internet connection at dorms at midnight because the school administration is ‘concerned’ that students may stay up all night playing online games,” Chang said. “Moreover, school officials or on-campus military education officers talk to students when student newspapers publish articles critical of school or government policies, saying they only want to show their ‘concern.’”
The term “showing concern” has always had a negative connotation among students, he said.
Chang said that while the ministry says it encourages student participation in public affairs, it has declined to intervene when universities ban students from taking part in or initiating demonstrations.
“Written rules in more than 70 of the 149 universities in the country — including National Cheng Kung University, National Taiwan University of Arts, the Taipei National University of the Arts and the Asia University — ban their students from taking part in demonstrations,” he said.
“When we petitioned the ministry asking them to intervene, officials said they had to respect the autonomy of universities,” Chang said.
“If ministry officials are truly concerned about students, they should show their concern through actual policy,” Chang said.
In response to the ministry’s e-mail, a number of students are coordinating a campaign to bombard the ministry with phone calls, saying “I am fine, thanks for your concern.”
Separately yesterday, Minister of Education Chiang Wei-ling (蔣偉寧) commented on the public uproar, saying he was saddened that the ministry’s good intentions had been twisted, adding that the ministry would think about how to show its good will in a better way.
Responding to a question about why he did not appear at the demonstrations to support students, Chiang said he was afraid that his appearance would create unnecessary problems, but added that he was fully supportive of students taking part in public affairs.
Additional reporting by Rachel Lin
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS