World Uyghur Congress president Rebiya Kadeer has accepted an invitation from the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) to visit Taiwan at the end of March, which would be the activist’s first visit to the nation.
The visit, if approved, would see Kadeer hold talks with Taiwanese activists and politicians about human rights, self-determination and independence.
In a video played at a news conference in Taipei yesterday, Kadeer expressed a deep interest in visiting Taiwan, and connecting with local activists and politicians, urging the government to give the green light to her visit.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
“Taiwan is in unity with East Turkestan, Tibet and Southern Mongolia. We have to help each other, and exchange opinions and experiences at all times,” Kadeer said. “We support all the movements you launch in the name of freedom and we also need your support.”
She congratulated President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on her election victory last year and expressed support for Tsai’s administration.
Japan Uyghur Association president Ilham Mahmut said Kadeer had long been planning to visit Taiwan, but the administration of former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) denied her entry in 2009, even though Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) had helped file a visa application for Kadeer’s participation at a film festival.
Having criticized the former administration’s treatment of the human rights activist, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), now in power, should be open to Kadeer’s visit, Mahmut said.
Though enshrined in China’s constitution, religious freedom is not allowed in reality, with conflicts between Uighurs and Chinese authorities often resulting from forceful intervention in religious practices, such as growing a beard and wearing a hijab, he said.
Press freedom is also prohibited and China’s state-run news outlets only publish stories that demonize Uighurs as terrorists, he added.
While China sources one-third of its energy from East Turkestan, about 90 percent of Uighurs are farmers and are living in poverty, he said.
“Should Uighurs not resist [China] under those circumstances?” he asked. “We are not different from Taiwanese. We are not different from people in other countries. We yearn for freedom and hope to run our own country on our ancestral lands.”
Kadeer’s visit would forge a bond between people subject to China’s suppression such as Uighurs, Taiwanese, Tibetans, Mongolians and Hong Kongers, TSU Chairman Liu I-te (劉一德) said.
Local pro-independence groups are generally indifferent to independence movements in other nations, but collaborating with foreign independence groups is necessary to counter China, Liu said.
“The TSU will stand together with the so-called separatist groups and help them resist Chinese imperialism,” Liu said.
The government should forsake the Constitution’s territorial claim on China — including Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Tibet and the South China Sea — and draw a clear line between Taiwan and China, he added.
Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) yesterday said any individual’s visa application would be handled by the concerned government agencies in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Additional reporting by CNA
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS