Members of a pro-independence group yesterday completed a 36-day walk around the country as they called on the authorities to end what they termed “autocratic control of the judiciary” and for the release of jailed former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
The walk, initiated by the Alliance of Referendum for Taiwan, arrived at Banciao Railway Station in New Taipei City (新北市) yesterday morning. They braved the cold and rain, and at noon reached Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei, where an overnight protest was scheduled.
Dozens of people joined the walk, which commenced at Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taipei on Nov. 3.
Photo: CNA
The group walked through Keelung, Yilan, Hualien, Taitung and Pingtung counties, as well as the cities and counties on the west coast before arriving back in Taipei.
The activists clashed with police earlier yesterday when the alliance’s convener, Tsay Ting-kuei (蔡丁貴), and a few others went to the Ketagalan Boulevard to appraise their scheduled protest location.
Tsay said the group should be granted the whole of Ketagalan Boulevard for the protest, but police officers insisted lanes be left open for traffic and forcefully removed Tsay and the others.
During the clash, Tsay fell to the ground and was afterwards sent to hospital for treatment.
According to former Northern Taiwan Society director Janice Chen (陳昭姿), who visited Tsay in hospital, Tsay will stay hospitalized for further observation as he may have suffered a concussion.
Having served four years of a lengthy prison sentence after being convicted of corruption during his term in office, Chen, who is serving an 18-and-a-half-year sentence for corruption, was admitted to Taipei Veterans General Hospital on Sept. 21.
He was later diagnosed with severe depression, with symptoms of anxiety and somatization disorder. He has been on escorted visits to the hospital since then.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS