Despite the pouring rain, dozens of people from several civic groups yesterday staged a protest outside the Government Information Office (GIO), accusing GIO Minister Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) of illegally meddling in the election of the board of directors of Taiwan Public Television Service (PTS).
“It should be the GIO’s responsibility to defend the values that TBS [Taiwan Broadcasting System, 公共廣電集團] represents, as well as its independence. We hence cannot agree with the GIO’s intervention in elections of PTS’ board of directors and its chairman,” Citizen’s Congress Watch (CCW) executive director Ho Tsung-hsun (何宗勳) told reporters in front of the GIO.
TBS consists of PTS, together with the Chinese Television System, Indigenous Television Service and Hakka Television Service.
Dozens of people affiliated with civic groups, including the CCW, the Taiwan Labor Front, the Humanistic Education Foundation and the Earth Charter Taiwan, took part in the demonstration, held placards accusing Su of being “lawless” and in violation of the Public Television Act (公共電視法) and shouted slogans.
Ever since the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) assumed power in May 2008, the government has come under criticism over its alleged interference in the management of PTS.
After the KMT-controlled legislature amended the Public Television Act in June to increase the number of seats on the PTS board of directors, the GIO dominated the nomination of members of a commission charged with reviewing board nominees. Civic groups said the GIO’s nomination of eight new directors to the PTS board paved the way for the ouster of Cheng Tung-liao (鄭同僚) as PTS chairman.
Last week, the PTS board of directors voted to terminate Cheng’s chairmanship during a meeting attended by a GIO representative, sparking fresh criticism from civic groups, as Cheng’s three-year term as PTS chairman, which began in December 2007, had not expired.
According to the Public Television Act, the PTS chairman’s term can only be interrupted if the chairman fails to fulfill his or her duty for up to three months.
The groups also questioned the validity of the appointment of eight new members to the board of directors last year. The government unilaterally reappointed PTS board members representing the government, saying that the move was justified since the members were on the board to represent the government, not as individuals. However, civic groups said the law stipulates that the decision to change board members could only be made by the board itself.
At a separate setting, when asked for comment, Su rejected the accusations, saying that the decision to change PTS’ chairmanship had been independently made by the board of directors.
The criticism against him was “neither fair nor true,” Su added.
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP) has funded short-term internships in Taiwan for more than 4,500 young people from more than 40 countries since 2015, with the goal of attracting and retaining international talent, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. Fifty-five colleges launched 514 projects this year, including in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, medicine and biotechnology, green energy, and sustainability, it said. The program provides research and practical internships in Taiwan for two to six months, and offers cultural exchange and networking opportunities, the ministry said. For example, National Formosa University’s Embedded System and Autopilot Laboratory developed two solar-powered drones in
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
Taipei resident Mu Chu-hua caught some glimpses of China’s mighty military parade on YouTube on Wednesday. As she watched hypersonic missiles roll down Beijing’s Changan Avenue and troops march in lockstep, she did not feel like they posed a threat to Taiwan. Mu, a 69-year-old retiree, said she saw the parade as simply a way for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to “say thank you to the troops.” “I thought it was quite normal,” she said. “It was very cool.” China’s military parade commemorating the end of World War II was being watched internationally for insights into Beijing’s military advances and its show
RSS