Three Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) officials who were indicted for contempt of authority refused to appear at their first court hearing yesterday because the party said the charges are unconstitutional and constitute a breach of freedom of speech.
Chen Chang-hui (陳昌輝), the TSU’s Tainan City branch director, TSU Department of Organization deputy director Chou Ni-an (周倪安) and TSU deputy caucus director Liu Kuo-lung (劉國隆) were accused and indicted on charges of contempt of authority after they called the Supreme Prosecutor Office’s Special Investigation Division (SID) “SID pigs” at a protest in May last year.
The demonstration was held to protest increases in fuel and electricity prices, and to demand that the SID probe potential corruption at state-owned Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) and CPC Corp, Taiwan.
“This charge — which only has a place in a feudal society and violates human rights — was used by the SID as a tool to suppress freedom of speech,” TSU Secretary-General Lin Chih-chia (林志嘉) told a press conference.
If President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is serious about Taiwan complying with the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN International Covenant on Social and Cultural Rights — which his adminastration signed in 2009 — and the Constitution, the government should not press charges against people for criticizing the government, Lin said.
Lawyer Kao Yung-cheng (高涌誠) said political commentary and speech should enjoy the highest degree of protection because people are supposed to monitor the government, adding that the court should suspend judgement and demand a constitutional interpretation.
The three officials have said they never expected they would be indicted for something they said during a protest of government policy.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
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A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it