Chinese dissident Wang Dan (王丹), one of the student leaders at the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest, who is now teaching in Taiwan, entered Hong Kong yesterday while on his way from the US.
Radio Television Hong Kong reported that Wang, who was exiled from China after the protests, had been delayed at Hong Kong’s airport early in the morning because his flight to Taiwan was suspended because of Typhoon Saola.
“It’s magic to step onto Hong Kong soil,” Wang said in a Facebook post.
In an interview on Hong Kong Radio, Wang said he did not intend to enter Hong Kong, but described the situation as “symbolically significant.” He said he would not “seek to sneak in” to Hong Kong, but believes that “one day” he will be allowed to visit.
In January last year, Wang tried to obtain permission to visit Hong Kong for the funeral of veteran democracy activist Szeto Wah (司徒華), a politician affiliated with the pan-democracy camp in Hong Kong who had helped many dissidents flee China after the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing, which saw hundreds, if not thousands, killed.
At the time, Wang had pledged to attend Wah’s memorial in a personal capacity and said he had no political motive. However, his request was denied with no reason given by the Hong Kong authorities.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese