New Power Party (NPP) legislative candidates yesterday appeared outside the Ministry of Education (MOE) building to show their support for the students protesting against the ministry’s curriculum guideline changes, and vowed to take legal action against Minister of Education Wu Se-hwa (吳思華) and police officers over the death of a young activist.
The anti-curriculum guideline change protest intensified after student protester Dai Lin (林冠華) was found dead on Thursday in what is believed to have been a suicide.
The protesters yesterday at about 1:33am began breaking down police barricades and scaling the walls to enter the courtyard of the ministry offices and staged a sit-in there.
NPP legislative candidates, including Neil Peng (馮光遠), Freddy Lim (林昶佐), Ko Shao-chen (柯劭臻) and Hung Tzu-yung (洪慈庸), yesterday appeared outside the ministry building to show their support.
“I would like to say that I condemn the minister for causing the horrible political suicide through disclosing confidential information,” said Ko, who is also an attorney.
“We will file lawsuits against Wu, Zhongzheng First Police Precinct Police Chief Chang Chi-wen (張奇文) and police officers who made the arrests of student activists who stormed the ministry building on July 23 for leaking confidential information,” Ko told the crowd.
Ko said Lin would probably not have killed himself if the ministry and the police did not tell his school to visit his family, putting more pressure on him.
“The NPP’s lawyers will continue to pursue the responsibility of the judiciary and the ministry,” Ko said.
NPP Hsinchu City candidate Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智), who is also a lawyer, has been at the protest scene since early yesterday morning to provide legal assistance to the protesters.
The NPP also issued a statement, calling on the ministry to halt its implementation of the new curriculum guidelines, while urging the ministry to make a law on revising the curriculum that includes a mechanism to allow the participation of students and teachers in the process.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
Taiwan is concerned that China could exploit the US’ war in the Middle East, with state media citing examples from the conflict to cast doubt on the efficiency of US weapons Taiwan would use to repel an invasion. Taiwanese officials said the resumption of Beijing’s large-scale air force incursions near Taiwan after an unusual decline show that China wants to take advantage of the redeployment of US forces from East Asia to the Middle East. “This is a moment for China to exercise influence,” a senior Taiwanese security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “What China is trying to create is a