DEJA VU: Threats to civil liberties and freedom of the press as well as pretrial detentions of opposition figures have led some to feel they are back in the Martial Law era
By Ko Shu-ling
On Dec. 10, 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Sixty years later, Taiwan prides itself on its peaceful democratization. However, many human rights and media watchdogs, both local and international, have expressed concerns over an increase in human rights violations and restrictions on civil liberties since President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took office in May.

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REVERSAL OF SUPPORT: Last week at a meeting with foreign press, President Ma said the timing was not appropriate for a visit from the Nobel Peace laureate
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday accused the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) of being dishonest after a DPP-proposed resolution inviting the Dalai Lama to speak at the legislature passed the Procedure Committee but was put low on the agenda for Friday’s plenary session.

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By Shih Hsiu-chuan
The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) will today honor Sima Samar, chairwoman of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, with its 2008 Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award for her dedication to improving the status of women in Afghanistan. As well as the award, Samar will receive a US$100,000 grant.

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By Rich Chang
A pro-independence organization yesterday released a documentary recounting how the police used excessive force to block people from expressing their opinions and protesting during the visit of Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin (陳雲林), and said the documentary would be delivered to several international human rights organizations in the hope they would pay more attention to Taiwan’s human rights situation.

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CLARIFYING A PURPOSE: One expert said detentions exist to prevent suspects from escaping or colluding with other witnesses, not to force detainee confessions
By Ko Shu-ling
With China’s human rights record deteriorating this year, Taiwan also showed signs of human rights violations, especially in the areas of police brutality and the judicial system, a human rights expert said yesterday.

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CAMPAIGN: Tenzin Dorjee said that while many in Tibet wanted to resist the Chinese, their government told them that being ‘nice’ was the right thing to do
By Loa Iok-sin
Although they have never set foot on Tibetan soil, Canadian-born Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) executive director Lhadon Tethong and Indian-born deputy executive director Tenzin Dorjee shared their dream of an independent Tibet and views on some current issues in Taiwan during an interview with the Taipei Times yesterday.

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‘UNSPECIFIC’: When asked about Washington’s response on whether legislators had US citizenship, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng said he knew, but would not tell
By Flora Wang
Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊) remained tight-lipped yesterday about the US response to the legislature’s probe into the nationality status of all lawmakers, but his silence prompted speculation from the pan-green camp that the government was intent on hiding something.

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By Mo Yan-chih
Taipei City’s Department of Government Ethics yesterday promised to present an report on the responsibility of city officials in the construction of the Maokong Gondola system within a week, but said President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) involvement as former Taipei mayor would not be investigated.

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By Shelley Huang
An increasing number of people said they have lost the will to live, doctors said yesterday, the result of declining mental health in the country.

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By Shih Hsiu-chuan
Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien said yesterday it would take him a year to improve the watchdog agency’s performance, which has often been criticized for wasting resources and lacking the impetus to look into high-profile cases.

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Former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成) was freed on NT$500,000 (US$15,000) bail yesterday after being held in custody since last month on suspicion of involvement in graft.

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By J. Michael Cole
Before a packed auditorium at the Taipei American School yesterday, John Palfrey, Harvard Law professor and chair of the Internet Safety Technical Task Force discussed the dangers of the digital age, the myths surrounding cyberspace and the opportunities offered by the medium.

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CROSS-STRAIT TIES: The fourth KMT-CCP economic forum will be held in Shanghai and will focus on financial and service industries and investment
By Mo Yan-chih
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) will lead a delegation to a Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-KMT economic forum in China on Saturday and Sunday next week, the KMT said yesterday.

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