Hong Kong is systematically removing reminders of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday, the 33rd anniversary of the incident.
Authorities in Hong Kong, where people had held annual candlelight vigils at Victoria Park on the massacre’s anniversary for many years, had not received an application for such an event this year, she said on Facebook.
Statues commemorating the massacre, among other expressions of support for democracy, have been removed from university campuses in the territory without an explanation from authorities, Tsai said.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
“The collective memory of the Tiananmen Square Massacre is being systematically removed in Hong Kong,” she said, adding that such brutish methods would not eradicate people’s memories of the incident.
Increasing threats from authoritarian countries against democracies highlight the necessity of upholding democratic values and enhancing collaborations with like-minded international partners, Tsai said.
As authoritarianism is increasingly threatening democracy worldwide, Taiwan and other like-minded democracies must reinforce joint efforts to uphold democratic values, Tsai said, citing as examples of collaboration Japan’s donation of 1.24 million COVID-19 vaccine doses last year, as well as vaccine sharing between the US and its European allies.
Photo: CNA
We must cherish our democratic freedoms, but at the same time should be cautious when exercising our right to free speech, Tsai said.
Disinformation about COVID-19 might cause social unrest and place a heavy burden on medical personnel, Tsai said, referring to a controversy last month when TV celebrity Anthony Kuo (郭彥均) posted a screenshot on Facebook that he originally said represented a conversation with a medical professional who said that “many children passed away” from the virus in Taiwan.
The government denied that the alleged statement by a doctor represented the truth, causing a large number of people to say that Taiwan is trying to limit freedom of speech.
Tsai said she believes in transparency of information, adding that every member of the public is entitled to voice their opinion.
She said she believes that a diversity of opinions benefits society and that communication can help mitigate conflicts.
Taiwan’s widely praised COVID-19 pandemic response is the result of civilian oversight, while authoritarian governments undemocratic efforts to limit pandemic information might lead to the pandemic getting worse, she said.
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
US PUBLICATION: The results indicated a change in attitude after a 2023 survey showed 55 percent supported full-scale war to achieve unification, the report said More than half of Chinese were against the use of force to unify with Taiwan under any circumstances, a survey conducted by the Atlanta, Georgia-based Carter Center and Emory University found. The survey results, which were released on Wednesday in a report titled “Sovereignty, Security, & US-China Relations: Chinese Public Opinion,” showed that 55.1 percent of respondents agreed or somewhat agreed that “the Taiwan problem should not be resolved using force under any circumstances,” while 24.5 percent “strongly” or “somewhat” disagreed with the statement. The results indicated a change in attitude after a survey published in “Assessing Public Support for (Non)Peaceful Unification
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
The China Coast Guard has seized control of a disputed reef near a major Philippine military outpost in the South China Sea, Beijing’s state media said, adding to longstanding territorial tensions with Manila. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea and has waved away competing assertions from other countries as well as an international ruling that its position has no legal basis. China and the Philippines have engaged in months of confrontations in the contested waters, and Manila is taking part in sweeping joint military drills with the US which Beijing has slammed as destabilizing. The Chinese coast guard