An alliance tasked with monitoring the transitional justice promotion committee on Monday urged the committee to clarify facts and responsibilities.
The Act on Promoting Transitional Justice (促進轉型正義條例), passed by the Legislative Yuan in December last year, required the government to set up an independent committee for implementing transitional justice measures, including the declassification of state archives, the removal of authoritarian icons and the rehabilitation of victims of political persecution.
The Cabinet nominated committee members on March 31 and April 7, as required by the act, and the alliance — composed of 11 non-governmental human rights and legal reform groups — delivered a set of questions for the nominees to answer on April 16.
As the Legislative Yuan began reviewing the nominees’ eligibility on Wednesday last week, the alliance yesterday released the answers given by the nominees and held a news conference in Taipei to comment on their responses.
There is concern within the alliance that the nomination procedure was too rushed, Nylon Cheng Liberty Foundation managing director Cheng Tsing-hua (鄭清華) said, adding that the eligibility of the nominees must be strictly reviewed.
However, Cheng praised the committee’s exclusion of people who have benefited from the former authoritarian government.
Taiwan Association for Truth and Reconciliation chairwoman Huang Chang-ling (黃長玲) said it was regrettable that one nominee, pastor Eleng Tjaljimaraw (高天惠) of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, did not respond to the alliance’s questions.
The committee is not part of the government bureaucracy, but is tasked with leading the nation to the next stage of democratization, so it needs to clarify facts and responsibilities, Huang said.
Most of the nominees answered questions by saying that they would do their job in accordance with the law or make decisions through discussions, which the alliance thinks is rather vague, she added
After reviewing their answers, the alliance said it found that Taiwanese literature academic Yang Tsui (楊翠) and Judicial Reform Foundation member Greg Yo (尤伯祥) had demonstrated a sincere desire to communicate with non-governmental organizations.
That combined with their knowledge of transitional justice makes them suitable for the job, it said.
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
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS