Legislators are calling for more heads to roll after the Cabinet accepted the resignation of the nation's top representative to the UK, Tien Hung-mao (
The acceptance of Tien's resignation did not come as a surprise. It was widely expected since Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen (
PHOTO: YEH CHIH-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
It intrigues many, however, that the government chose to admit mistakes it had made a long time ago, particularly when the administrative mistakes, strictly speaking, did not violate the law.
Chen criticized the London office's negligence in issuing a new passport to Yeh on March 17 and granting her six authorization papers allowing real estate transfers on May 27 -- even after the government had provided the office with a list of Wang's family members.
Tien flew back to Taipei two days after Chen's press conference. Arriving at CKS International Airport, he pleaded for an opportunity to explain the whole case, emphasizing that all operations in his office were carried out according to instructions from the central government.
Defending her husband, Tien's wife Kuo Mei-hui (
Lo Chih-cheng (
The Control Yuan and the Minister of Foreign Affairs' separate investigations have proved the London office issued the passport and the legal documents to Yeh although she supplied false information on her passport application form.
While the office's negligence was described as an "administrative mistake," Lo said that according to the law, Yeh as a Taiwanese citizen has the right to apply for a new passport.
Perhaps fearing that her identity as a murder suspect's wife would hinder her application for a passport, Yeh did not write her spouse's name on the application form. However, argued Lo, even though the office knew who she really was, it still had to issue her a passport. "Denying her a passport equates to denying her human rights," Lo said.
With the six authorization papers allowing real estate transfers, Yeh has completed two real estate deals. The other four were blocked after the visa ruckus broke out. "Why didn't investigators stop the first two transfers, knowing Yeh was behind the deals?" Lo asked.
Wang, a former arms dealer, has been wanted since September 2000 in connection with the death of navy Captain Yin Ching-feng (
Tien, the first Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member to become a foreign minister, has never been fully trusted by President Chen Shui-bian's (
It has been known that some of Chen's national policy advisers did not like Tien as a foreign minister, criticizing him for fearing to seek major diplomatic breakthroughs. Close to former president Lee Teng-hui (
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by