Decrying the strong-arm tactics used by police against protesters early yesterday morning in Taipei, the National Taiwan University (NTU) students’ association backed a call by protest leaders Chen Wei-ting (陳為廷) and Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) for a nationwide “strike.”
As of press time yesterday, more than 45 student groups, totaling 3,000 students from 18 universities — including National Tsing Hua University, National Chengchi University, National Chiao Tung University and National Cheng Kung University — had joined the strike call.
“The government not only failed to respond to the public’s demands, but also took inappropriate measures to attack students, violently suppress them, hurt the country’s backbone and trample on basic human rights,” the NTU group said about the crackdown on the protesters who tried to occupy the Executive Yuan on Sunday night.
Photo: CNA
The statement called for a “strike” on four fronts: putting classes on hold so that students can join protests; holding classes on-site at the protests; teacher support for students’ decision to protest and leniency for those students participating in the demonstrations.
Ko Chih-che (柯志哲), the head of NTU’s sociology department, also issued a statement of support.
The focus of the department’s education and research is on civic participation, procedural justice and social equality, Ko said, adding that: “The department is supportive of all student-organized strikes as long as personal safety is taken into consideration, and it encourages any methods to understand or participate in the development of relevant proceedings.”
NTU Secretary-General Lin Ta-te (林達德) said the university is primarily concerned with the rights of education and the school’s normal operations and procedures.
While strikes are not the best solution to resolving the conflict, if all of the proceedings are in accordance with students’ rights of education and other Ministry of Education regulations, the university would respect any decision to reschedule or relocate classes, Lin said.
Meanwhile, Wang Hung-jen (王宏仁), a sociology professor at National Sun Yat-en University in Greater Kaohsiung, criticized President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for remaining behind barricades and being unwilling to emerge to communicate with the public.
“The department’s teachers are willing to stand by our students in this most precious ‘democracy class,’” Wang said.
Wang said the department decided to suspend all courses until the siege has wound down, at which time it would offer make-up classes.
Students in the department have voted to join the strike.
Taipei Medical University’s administration said that students skipping classes to take part in the protests would not be counted as absent.
Other schools are being more cautious in their support.
Lan Yang Institute of Technology dean Lin Chiang-lung (林江龍) said the school would neither support its students’ participation in the protests, but would not try to block them. Those students who want to participate would have to talk with their teachers to call in an absence, he said.
Minister of Education Chiang Wei-ling (蔣偉寧) appealed to students to remain calm and for teachers at the site of protests to persuade student demonstrators to return to classes.
The ministry does not support student strikes, Chiang said, adding that the rights to education should be maintained for everyone.
Additional reporting by Loa Iok-sin, Chen Yi-ching and Hung Ting-hung
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
RSS