The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that April 7 would be Freedom of Expression Day to commemorate the death of democracy activist Deng Nan-jung (鄭南榕), who died on April 7, 1989.
Premier Lin Chuan (林全) said that the democracy and freedom that Taiwanese enjoy is the result of past civil rights movements, and Deng paved the way for reform as his actions aroused public awareness of the importance of freedom of speech.
On April 7, 1989, Deng, then editor-in-chief of Freedom Era Weekly, set himself on fire as police attempted to break into his office after he had been barricaded inside for 71 days to avoid arrest after he was charged with sedition for the anti-government views expressed in his magazine, which published a draft “Republic of Taiwan constitution” in 1988.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
At the time, Article 100 of the Criminal Code banned the advocacy of replacing the Republic of China Constitution to mark the founding of a new nation, with those convicted liable to be sent to prison for life.
The article was amended in 1992, making it punishable only when such advocacy involves the use of violence.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), when attending a ceremony to commemorate the 27th anniversary of Deng’s death in New Taipei City’s Jinshan District (金山) this year, said her administration would make the day Freedom of Expression Day to commemorate the activist, which had been one of Tsai’s election campaign pledges.
The designation and celebration of Freedom of Expression Day is to familiarize the public with the meaning of the freedom of speech, Executive Yuan spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) quoted the premier as saying.
Government agencies, including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, have been asked to organize celebratory events and commemorative programs to deepen public awareness of democracy, Hsu said.
Additional reporting by CNA
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
RSS