Pro-independence groups are to launch a cooperation platform next year to provide momentum to the independence movement, which they said has been slighted by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who has vowed to maintain the cross-strait “status quo.”
Peter Wang (王獻極), convener of the 908 Taiwan Republic Campaign, said he and Taiwan People News chairman Chen Yung-hsing (陳永興) are organizing a pro-independence platform, which is to be launched with the participation of dozens of pro-localization groups, to pressure the Tsai administration and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on issues pertaining to Taiwanese independence.
“The Tsai administration has not responded to public calls to reject the so-called ‘1992 consensus’ and having Taiwan represented by an appropriate name in international events,” Wang said.
The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means. Former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted he made up the term in 2000.
“Although pro-independence groups and the DPP government share the same view on the development of Taiwan, there is no burden on pro-independence groups to speed up the goal [of achieving independence], while the Tsai administration, due to the responsibility it carries, has to be slow,” he said.
The platform will lay the groundwork for the government to launch pro-localization policies, he said.
Wang started a campaign in 2002 to promote the use of “Taiwan” and drop the term “Chinese Taipei” in international and domestic events, which did not gain traction until the second year of campaigning, when it collected 200,000 signatures and won the support of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
The campaign succeeded in having Taipei’s Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall renamed to Liberty Square; the state-run oil refiner then known as Chinese Petroleum Corp rebranded as CPC Corp, Taiwan; and Chunghwa Post renamed to Taiwan Post, as well as the introduction of a new passport with the word “Taiwan” in Roman script on the cover.
“The voice of the public has to be united in a common cause to be heard by the government,” Wang said.
The initial consensus reached by the prospective platform members includes lowering referendum thresholds and halting the use of “Chinese Taipei” for Taiwanese organizations participating in international events, he added.
Ketagalan Institute president Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒) is to spearhead a plan to seek amendments to the Referendum Act (公民投票法) to pave the way for broader public discussion on national issues not limited to independence topics, Wang said.
While the groups’ priorities vary, with some advocating a proposal for a UN membership and others independence, lowering the threshold for referendums is one area that they all agree on, he added.
The campaign to promote the use of “Taiwan” instead of “Chinese Taipei” by national teams in international competitions, particularly the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is to be renewed, Wang said.
The platform will also collaborate with the DPP, the Taiwan Solidarity Union and the New Power Party to campaign for different causes, he added.
UNDER INVESTIGATION: Huang’s body was found just outside the bathroom and showed no signs of a struggle, and no alcohol or drugs were found Singer and actor Alien Huang (黃鴻升) was found dead at his home in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投) yesterday. He was 36. Huang was also known by the nickname Xiao Gui (“little ghost”). His body was found when his father went to check on him after being unable to reach him by telephone, and called emergency services to the house at 11am, the Taipei City Police Department said. Huang’s body, which was discovered just outside the bathroom, showed no signs of a physical struggle, and he appeared to have been dead for some time, police said, adding that no drugs or alcohol were
Scooter riders should regularly clean their helmets, especially in summer, to prevent dirt and sweat from accumulating and causing scalp problems, such as hair loss and permanent baldness, a dermatologist has warned. Poor hygiene practices by helmet wearers often lead to scalp problems, such as bacterial folliculitis, tinea capitis and seborrheic dermatitis, Lu Pei-hsuan (呂佩璇) at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital said on Aug 31. The first step to maintain good scalp care is proper hair washing, as shampoo residues can easily cause dandruff and itchy scalps, while improper scratching will cause inflammation, Lu said. The best way to wash your hair is to
INTIMIDATION: Chinese military maneuvers have mostly led to heightened support for Taiwan’s defense forces, while China appears poised to continue its campaign China’s incessant military activities in and near the Taiwan Strait over the past several months are “greater in meaning than in substance,” and are aimed at polarizing Taiwanese society, a researcher said in a report published on Friday. China has attempted to intimidate Taiwan through military threats, while at the same time calling on Taiwanese and US officials to practice restraint, which is aimed at causing a rift between those who prefer resistance against China and those who prefer peace, said Lee Kuan-cheng (李冠成), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research. “China’s goal is to obscure public awareness
CONFIRMED IN PHILIPPINES: The CECC would conduct contact tracing for the migrant workers to determine if they had come into contact with elderly people or children Six Filipinos tested positive for COVID-19 upon returning home from Taiwan, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday as it reported a case of imported COVID-19 infection, bringing the number of confirmed cases in Taiwan to 500. Philippine authorities reported four of the cases through the National IHR Focal Point, while the other two were reported by the company that they had worked for in Taiwan. The six — five women and one man — are aged from their 20s to 40s, and worked as in-home care workers, domestic workers, factory workers and sailors in Taiwan, said Minister of Health and
RSS