The Executive Yuan is reviewing a draft political archives act that would circumvent legal barriers to obtain and publish data in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) possession about political prisoners and victims of the White Terror era, an Executive Yuan official said yesterday.
The Executive Yuan met with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus and reached an agreement to prioritize reviewing the proposal, which was drafted by the National Archives Administration, alongside the DPP’s draft act on promoting transitional justice in the current legislative session, said the official, who requested anonymity.
A statute proposed to expropriate historical data, including those held by the KMT, could be ratified as part of the transitional justice act, the official said, adding that legislative efforts would be focused on passing the transitional justice act while the Executive Yuan works to circumvent legal restrictions to its passage.
As the transitional justice bill — which deals with the actions of the then-KMT government during the 228 Massacre and the White Terror era — is a very sensitive issue, it is expected to spark heated debates between pan-green and pan-blue lawmakers, the official said.
Executive Yuan meetings have heard differing views on the feasibility of expropriating materials from the KMT’s archives, with some saying that the materials must be claimed in accordance with the Constitution to facilitate research into the nation’s history, the official said.
The expropriation should exclude material that is irrelevant to the nation’s history, lest the KMT complains about its private property being infringed upon, the official said.
According to a draft political archives act, individuals or organizations in possession of historical materials dating from 1945 to 1992 should declare them to the National Archives Administration, which would review the items and decide whether they should be made public, the official said.
The draft would also grant the government authority to probe individuals and organizations believed to be holding historical materials and request the documents, the official said.
The draft reportedly requires the KMT to report political files in its possession to the archives administration.
The archives administration has said that people who donate original historical documents would be able to apply for compensation after the materials are assessed.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
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