A US district court of appeal judge has handed down a ruling against an overseas Chinese association in San Francisco over its removal of a Republic of China (ROC) national flag from its office in 2013 to signify the end of its support for the ROC government.
Justice Rebecca Wiseman said in a written statement that the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in San Francisco should replace the ROC flag in its office.
The ruling was made on the grounds that association president Ted Wong (黃榮達) forced the passage of a resolution to get rid of the flag during a board of directors’ meeting in May 2013, an action which violated the organization’s rules because the resolution failed to get the required number of votes from board members for its approval.
The attorney representing the plaintiff said that the ruling is a victory, because the reasons given for opposing the removal of the flag have all been accepted by the court.
A written ruling is expected to be issued in the next two weeks.
The dispute surfaced after the association announced on its Web site on May 25, 2013, that it had passed a resolution to get rid of the ROC flag by a 21-20 vote, and that it would instead display the US and People’s Republic of China flags.
Founded in 1854, the association, composed of seven overseas Chinese groups, like many other similar groups in the US, assisted in ROC founding father Sun Yat-sen’s revolution to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and have long supported the ROC government.
However, those groups have gradually backed off from maintaining close relations with Taiwan since Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1978 and Taiwan began to promote “localization,” diplomatic sources said.
Association board member Harrison Lim said that none of the board members are from Taiwan and most of the new board members are from China.
He expressed concern that if a vote is held, a resolution to get rid of the ROC flag could easily be passed by a two-thirds majority.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
PLANNED: The suspect visited the crime scene before the killings, seeking information on how to access the roof, and had extensively researched a 2014 stabbing incident The suspect in a stabbing attack that killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei on Friday had planned the assault and set fires at other locations earlier in the day, law enforcement officials said yesterday. National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said the suspect, a 27-year-old man named Chang Wen (張文), began the attacks at 3:40pm, first setting off smoke bombs on a road, damaging cars and motorbikes. Earlier, Chang Wen set fire to a rental room where he was staying on Gongyuan Road in Zhongzheng District (中正), Chang Jung-hsin said. The suspect later threw smoke grenades near two exits
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
RSS