The Washington-based Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) is calling on Taiwan’s government and media regulators to stop the sale of four Taiwanese outlets of the Next Media Group to a consortium in which Want Want China Times Group chairman Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明) has a controlling interest.
FAPA president Mark Kao (高龍榮) said Taipei should disallow the sale and find a solution that respects media diversity “in keeping with the values of freedom and democracy.”
In a statement issued on Friday, FAPA expressed “deep concern about the erosion of press freedom in Taiwan.”
Its concern has been triggered by worries that the Next Media Group’s four Taiwanese outlets — Apple Daily, Sharp Daily, Next Magazine and Next TV — would be muzzled by its new owners.
Tsai has a reputation for being pro-China and FAPA fears that he will suppress criticism of the Chinese government.
FAPA said that following his takeover of the China Times in 2008, many editors and reporters at the Taiwanese daily who had written stories critical of the Chinese government were reportedly asked to leave.
According to a complaint by the Association of Taiwan Journalists the sale of Next Media (Taiwan), to Want Want China Times would violate the anti-monopoly and fair competition stipulations of the Fair Trade Act (公平交易法).
The deal now awaits official approval by Next Media’s shareholders and Taiwanese regulators — the Fair Trade Commission and the National Communications Commission.
“Regrettably, this development is part of a wider pattern of eroding press freedoms that we have observed, beginning in 2008 when President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), came to power,” Kao said.
He said Tsai’s Want Want China Times Group had become the “main vehicle for the creeping influence of pro-China interests and opinions” in Taiwan.
Kao called on the Taiwanese government and media regulators to stop the sale and said that Taiwanese-Americans would bring the issue to the attention of the US government.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS