“I am Taiwanese; I am Czech, because we are both believers of democracy.” Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) yesterday gave a speech in the Czech Senate, a day after a delegation he is leading visited Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil’s hometown.
The delegation — which was invited to the central European nation by Vystrcil with hopes to bolster bilateral ties and obtain international support for Taiwan’s bid to regain UN membership — comprises Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Yosi Takun and Wan Mei-ling (萬美玲), Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Jang Chyi-lu (張其祿) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Huang Shih-chieh (黃世杰).
The delegation visited Vystrcil’s hometown of Telc and was warmly welcomed by Telc Mayor Vladimir Brtnik, Vyscoina Region head Vitezslav Schrek and other officials.
Photo: Hsieh Chun-lin, Taipei Times
You and his delegation members laid flowers and lit candles at a commemorative monument to Olga Havlova, whose support was instrumental in the involvement of Vaclav Havel, her husband, in the 1989 Velvet Revolution, a non-violent transition of power.
You praised Telc’s beauty, culture and architectural style, saying it lives up to its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The delegation’s visit coincided with the 30th anniversary of the town being named a UNESCO heritage site.
Photo: Hsieh Chun-lin, Taipei Times
You said the town reminded him of Yilan County, where Taiwan cypress trees grow at 2,000m above sea level.
Yilan had tried and failed to apply for UNESCO heritage status multiple times, as its application is blocked by an overbearing neighbor, he said, an apparent reference to China.
“I believe, one day, that [Taiwan] will become a UN member with the support of our international friends, and finally succeed in applying for UNESCO heritage status,” You said.
Photo: CNA
In his speech yesterday, You urged democratic countries around the world to “understand the core ideas of the Chinese Communist Party and to enact preventive measures against its spread, or it could, soon, bring about irreparable disaster for the human race.”
Chinese political views, hearkening back to an imperialist mindset, are precisely why it is dangerous, as regional hegemony threatens world peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, You said.
As a free, democratic country, Taiwan is different from China and stands against any form of authoritarianism, he said.
“One can say, for certain, that safeguarding Taiwan is in the public interest of the world,” You said.
“The alliance of democracies, must let authoritarian countries understand that we will not stand aside and let them fulfill their desires,” You said. “I believe fully in the Czech national motto: ‘Truth prevails,’ and that freedom and democracy will ultimately win.”
You echoed Vystrcil’s statement, “I am Taiwanese” in the Legislative Yuan in Taipei two years ago, saying: “I am Taiwanese; I am Czech, because we are both believers of democracy.”
TAIWAN PROTECTION MEASURE: US Army General Charles Flynn would not say where in the Asia-Pacific the missiles would be sent, but only that they would arrive in 2024 The US is to send medium-range missiles including the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) and Tomahawk to the Asia-Pacific next year to deter a Chinese attack on Taiwan, US military news Web site Defense One reported. The report cited comments US Army General Charles Flynn made during the annual Halifax International Security Forum on Nov. 19. “We have tested them and we have a battery or two of them today,” Flynn was quoted as saying. “In [20]24. We intend to deploy that system in your region. I’m not going to say where and when. But I will just say that we will
LOYALTY: The 10 active and retired soldiers betrayed the nation and its people by leaking and passing on military secrets to China, the High Prosecutors’ Office said Ten former and current military officers were yesterday indicted on charges of spying for China, including two who allegedly filmed themselves pledging loyalty to Beijing. The High Prosecutors’ Office requested life imprisonment for the suspects in light of the severity of the crime. The 10 active-duty and retired officers included members of the 601st Brigade of the Aviation Special Forces comprising attack helicopter squadrons and elite combat units in charge of defending northern Taiwan, including Taipei. The other suspects came from Huadong Defense Command, in charge of defending the eastern coast; Kinmen Defense Command, in charge of defending Kinmen and Matsu; and one
NO FREE LUNCH: Taiwanese joining the trips to China met TAO and United Front Work officials who urged them to vote for candidates who support closer ties with Beijing The Ciaotou Prosecutors’ Office in Kaohsiung yesterday released two suspects on bail who have been accused of recruiting Taiwanese to join tours to China funded by Beijing and in which they were urged to vote for pan-blue candidates in January’s presidential and legislative elections. The pan-blue camp generally refers to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), the People First Party, the New Party and the Young China Party, which support closer relations with China. Prosecutors said that a man, surnamed Cheng (鄭), and a woman, surnamed Yeh (葉), who are members of the China Pan-Blue Association, recruited Taiwanese tourists to join tours arranged
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday slammed a proposal by New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, to permit a “significant number” of Chinese students to study and work in Taiwan, saying it would be detrimental to young Taiwanese. At an event on Monday hosted by nine major industrial and business groups, Hou said that if elected, he would reinitiate cross-strait dialogue on the premise that Taiwan’s dignity would not be compromised and that the talks would be held in good faith. The talks would include lifting a ban on Chinese tour groups and