The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday promised to help a new university graduate who wants to serve in the military but is unable to do so because he holds dual nationality.
The man, surnamed Shih (施), who graduated from National Taiwan University earlier this year, has passed all phases of the testing process to enroll in a volunteer reserve officer training program but his application has been stalled because of the nationality issue, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) told a press conference.
Unlike the compulsory national service system in which all Republic of China (ROC) males living in Taiwan are required to serve even if they have dual nationality, those who wish to pursue a professional military career cannot hold a passport from another country.
PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUEI, TAIPEI TIMES
Born in Bolivia, Shih holds both Bolivian and ROC nationality. He came to Taiwan at the age of three and has never returned to Bolivia, Tsai said.
In 2008, Shih went to study in the US, traveling on his ROC passport, the legislator said.
Shih was recently instructed by the Ministry of National Defense to give up his Bolivian nationality by March 28 to be eligible to serve in accordance with the Nationality Act (國籍法), or face having his qualifications to enroll in the training program revoked, Tsai said.
However, the Bolivian government has said there is “no need” for Shih to give up his Bolivian citizenship because the country accepts dual citizenship. It has therefore refused to issue a verification document of Shih’s relinquishment of his Bolivian nationality, Tsai said.
Bai Chieh-lung (白捷隆), a human resources official at the Ministry of National Defense, said the military carries out its responsibilities in accordance with the law and that the law is clear that Shih must file evidence proving he has relinquished his Bolivian nationality.
Chen Shou-han (陳首翰), a MOFA legal official, said that Shih’s relinquishment of his Bolivian nationality could not be validated based only on unilateral recognition by Taiwan.
Chen added that the MOFA would instruct its representatives in Bolivia to gain an understanding of that country’s laws and seek ways to help Shih give up his Bolivian nationality.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
There are 77 incidents of Taiwanese travelers going missing in China between January last year and last month, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said. More than 40 remain unreachable, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday. Most of the reachable people in the more than 30 other incidents were allegedly involved in fraud, while some had disappeared for personal reasons, Luo said. One of these people is Kuo Yu-hsuan (郭宇軒), a 22-year-old Taiwanese man from Kaohsiung who went missing while visiting China in August. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said in a news statement that he was under investigation
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
An aviation jacket patch showing a Formosan black bear punching Winnie the Pooh has become popular overseas, including at an aviation festival held by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force at the Ashiya Airbase yesterday. The patch was designed last year by Taiwanese designer Hsu Fu-yu (徐福佑), who said that it was inspired by Taiwan’s countermeasures against frequent Chinese military aircraft incursions. The badge shows a Formosan black bear holding a Republic of China flag as it punches Winnie the Pooh — a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) — who is dressed in red and is holding a honey pot with
RSS