World Uyghur Congress president Rebiya Kadeer on Saturday said she would accept an invitation from the Taiwan Solidarity Union’s (TSU) to visit Taiwan on condition that it does not cause repercussions for Taiwanese.
Kadeer made the remarks at an event in Japan attended by World Uyghur Congress vice president Seyit Tumturk, Japan Uyghur Union president Turmuhammed Hashim and Taiwan Friends of the Uyghur Association president Paul Lin (林保華).
Kadeer discussed her proposed visit, tentatively scheduled for this year, and its implications for Taiwan-China relations, with Uighur diaspora leaders and Lin asking about the Taiwanese government’s attitude over her visit.
“I care deeply about Taiwan and I am a staunch supporter of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). I would be glad to visit if it would not lead to losses. I would like to know how Taiwanese truly feel about my proposed visit,” she said.
Lin said that although Taiwanese are likely to welcome Kadeer as a democracy and human rights supporter, Taiwan’s domestic and international situation might not make her visit opportune at the moment.
The association hopes to work closely with the congress and would welcome Kadeer’s visit “at the right time,” Lin said.
Kadeer added she is concerned for her personal safety.
The proposed visit is motivated by her desire to help with Taiwan’s international standing and is not indispensable, Kadeer said, adding that the congress remains willing to fight for human rights and democratic freedoms by Taiwan’s side.
In response to Kadeer’s questions about the rise of Taiwanese independence, Lin said most young Taiwanese are raised in an independent nation and their pro-independence sentiment is a product of natural development.
“All people should enjoy freedoms and a nation to call their own. We see not only that Uighurs and Tibetans want to be independent, but that people in Shanghai and Canton are also clamoring for independence,” Kadeer said.
“It is enraging that the Chinese government treats everyone as Chinese. I strenuously oppose the ‘one China’ principle. China is not the nation of the Uighur people,” she said.
The TSU is in the process of arranging Kadeer’s visit to Taiwan, but a request has not been filed yet, Department of Organization director Chang Chao-lin (張兆林) said on Sunday.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over
RSS