Democratic procedures would be followed when deciding whether to remove statues of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) from school campuses, Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) said yesterday, adding that it is inappropriate for schools to display authoritarian symbols.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) questioned the appropriateness of keeping Chiang statues in schools during a meeting of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee.
She urged the ministry to issue a statement to encourage schools to remove such statues as part of efforts to promote transitional justice on campuses.
As campuses are an integral part of education, it is inappropriate for schools in a democratic nation to display any authoritarian symbols, Pan said.
The minister said he would ask schools, particularly universities, to facilitate discussions on the issue and take proactive steps to promote the values of transitional justice.
Three students and a fourth person on Tuesday were arrested for allegedly defacing a Chiang statue at Fu Jen Catholic University in New Taipei City and obstructing police officers, while statues at National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung and National Kaohsiung Normal University were defaced over the 228 Peace Memorial Day holiday, Wu said.
National Sun Yat-sen University president Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) called the incident at his school a “learning process,” while National Kaohsiung Normal University president Wu Lien-shang (吳連賞) said that he “respected the expression of pluralistic opinions.”
Wu said that she was saddened to see that Fu Jen, her alma mater, allowed more than 50 police officers to enter the campus to deal with four people, since the university had security guards and military instructors on site at the time.
She asked Pan whether the decision was appropriate and whether the actions taken against the students were proportionate.
“As an overarching principle, troops and police officers must not enter schools without permission,” Pan said.
“The learning process is the most valuable part of education,” Pan said, adding that it was a pity the university did not turned the incident into a learning opportunity.
He called on the university to engage in dialogue with parents and students regarding the future of the statue to improve mutual understanding.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS