In view of the violent tussles that took place yesterday morning at CKS International Airport, political analysts said that Taiwan's politicians should be more "sensible" in their rhetoric and conduct to prevent more ugly incidents from occurring.
"Politicians across the spectrum should be more sensible in everything they say and do to prevent things like this from happening," said Soochow University political science professor Emile Sheng (盛治仁), alluding to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) trip to China.
Ironically, the trip which Lien has billed as a "journey of peace" created a melee before he even got on the plane.
"I am not singling out Lien as the one who should be responsible for the scuffle," Sheng said.
"In fact I don't think he should be, since he had already communicated with the government, and everyone seems at ease with him making the journey to China," said Sheng, referring to the phone conversation between President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Lien on Monday.
In the 11-minute phone call, Chen reminded Lien that he couldn't sign agreements on his own, while Lien reassured the president that he would not undercut the government's authority.
"Nonetheless, it is clear that Lien's trip to China was the core factor that sparked the scuffle," Sheng added. "I think it serves as a lesson to all politicians that they should be more sensible in what they do and say to avoid similar scuffles from taking place."
Taking the scuffle yesterday as an example, Sheng said that the situation had been "exploited by politicians who are fanning the emotions of their supporters for their personal political gain."
Looking at yesterday's scuffles from a broader perspective, Ku Chung-hwa (
"The event showed that people in Taiwan still need to learn how to express their views and how to accept views that differ from their own in a mature and non-violent manner," Ku said.
Yesterday's "regrettable events" suggest that there is a lack of outlets in Taiwan's public sphere where people can voice their views calmly and reasonably, Ku said.
He said that "instead of learning to listen to one another and seeking similarity amid their differences," what often happens is that people who share the same ideology simply stir up each other's emotions through TV call-in programs.
But Ku was optimistic about Taiwan's journey along the democratic path.
"Unlike the old days during the martial-law era when one single incident could easily lead the government to clamp down with force and more tightly control people's right to express their views, I think Taiwan's democracy is progressing to the point where it can absorb political clashes," Ku said.
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
LIKE-MINDED COUNTRIES: Despite the threats from outside, Taiwan and Lithuania thrived and developed their economies, former president Tsai Ing-wen said Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Saturday thanked Lithuania for its support of Taiwan, saying that both countries are united as partners in defending democracy. Speaking at a reception organized by the Lithuania-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group welcoming her on her first visit to the Baltic state, Tsai said that while she was president from 2016 to last year, many Lithuanian “friends” visited Taiwan. “And I told myself I have to be here. I am very happy that I am here, a wonderful country and wonderful people,” Tsai said. Taiwan and Lithuania are in similar situations as both are neighbors to authoritarian countries, she
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
RSS