Independent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) yesterday formed the Taiwan Parliamentary Group for Tibet for the current legislative term, while calling on the Democratic Progressive Party administration to go along with the Dalai Lama, who on Sunday during a livestream said that he would like to pay the nation another visit.
The group was joined by 46 lawmakers across party lines, making it larger than the iteration in the previous legislative session, Lim said.
After the Buddhist leader expressed his desire to visit the nation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a visit would go ahead “when the time is convenient for both sides,” Lim said, asking when it would be a “convenient time” for the nation.
Photo: CNA
The nation should adopt a firmer stance on its support of human rights and say: “Whenever is a convenient time for the Dalai Lama is a convenient time for us,” the lawmaker said.
Thanks to the efforts of the previous group, the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission was abolished, allowing Tibet a “normalized and equal” channel for exchanges with the nation, he said.
The new group would continue to uphold the rights of Tibetans in the nation, but also concern itself with Beijing’s arbitrary implementation of the Hong Kong national security legislation, its establishment of internment camps in China’s Xinjiang region and its infringement on religious freedom in Tibet, he said.
Hopefully, the group would function as a hub that could rally international support for Tibet and human rights, Lim added.
Tibet signed a peace treaty with China, but within eight years it proved to be a failure, Tibet Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama chairman Dawa Tsering said.
Tibet is a symbol of peace worldwide, yet it cannot live in peace with China, he said.
He said that he hopes to see discussions about Chinese oppression grow in Taiwan, which has managed to keep its sovereignty in the face of daunting threats by Beijing.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
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