The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) yesterday said in a press release that it was extremely concerned about and alarmed by the manner in which the cross-strait service trade agreement passed the legislative review stage.
CALD chairman Sam Rainsy expressed concern over the President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) administration’s decision to cut short a deliberation process in the Legislative Yuan on March 17 and the ensuing student movement that occupied the legislative chamber two days later, calling for Ma to hold a citizens’ constitutional conference, reject the pact and establish a monitoring mechanism for cross-strait negotiations.
The administration cracked down on protesters occupying the Executive Yuan early on Monday morning and injured dozens of people.
The council “condemns actions of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government that weaken democratic institutions and processes and undermine the voice and rights of the people,” Rainsy said.
The council added that it encouraged a peaceful resolution of the crisis and maximum restraint in defusing tensions in the protest areas.
The council said that it believes it is vital and necessary to respect procedures and inclusive deliberations before policies are enacted.
“Transparency and accountability are prerequisites of a truly democratic government, and therefore any negotiation and consultation done behind closed doors or with undue haste is a violation of democratic principles,” it said.
The council was established in 1993 as a regional organization of liberal and democratic political parties and politicians in Asia. It currently has 16 members.
Separately, former US representative Tom Tancredo called on Ma to hold a referendum to decide the future of the trade pact.
“Like many of Taiwan’s old friends, I was saddened by the ruling party’s decision to sidestep an open and honest dialogue on this incredibly polarizing question,” he said on Tuesday.
“The people of Taiwan have worked hard to free their country from the grip of martial law and one-party dictatorship. They deserve better than this,” said Tancredo, a former member of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus who is now seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Colorado.
In a statement issued in Denver, Colorado, he urged Ma to show restraint and seek a peaceful resolution to the student protests in Taipei.
He said the outcome of the services and trade agreement proposal would have a profound impact on the nation’s sovereignty.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Credit departments of farmers’ and fishers’ associations blocked a total of more than NT$180 million (US$6.01 million) from being lost to scams last year, National Police Agency (NPA) data showed. The Agricultural Finance Agency (AFA) said last week that staff of farmers’ and fishers’ associations’ credit departments are required to implement fraud prevention measures when they serve clients at the counter. They would ask clients about personal financial management activities whenever they suspect there might be a fraud situation, and would immediately report the incident to local authorities, which would send police officers to the site to help, it said. NPA data showed
ENERGY RESILIENCE: Although Alaska is open for investments, Taiwan is sourcing its gas from the Middle East, and the sea routes carry risks, Ho Cheng-hui said US government officials’ high-profile reception of a Taiwanese representative at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference indicated the emergence of an Indo-Pacific energy resilience alliance, an academic said. Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安) attended the conference in Alaska on Thursday last week at the invitation of the US government. Pan visited oil and gas facilities with senior US officials, including US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and US Senator Daniel Sullivan. Pan attending the conference on behalf of President William Lai (賴清德) shows a significant elevation in diplomatic representation,
The Taipei MRT is to begin accepting mobile payment services in the fall, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said on Saturday. When the company finishes the installation of new payment units at ticketing gates in October, MRT passengers can use credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, the operator said. In addition, the MRT would also provide QR payment codes — which would be compatible with Line Pay, Jkopay, iPass Money, PXPay Plus, EasyWallet, iCash Pay, Taiwan Pay and Taishin Pay — to access the railway system. Currently, passengers can access the Taipei MRT by buying a single-journey token or using EasyCard,
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