The Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Tien Hung-mao (田弘茂) called on China Friday to release convicted Taiwanese human rights activist Lee Ming-che (李明哲) as soon as possible in order not to jeopardize future relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Speaking at a joint meeting of the SEF board members and supervisors, Tien said that he saw China’s handling of Lee’s case as deeply regrettable and expressed concern that it would have a negative effect on the future development of cross-strait ties.
Lee was on Tuesday sentenced by a court in China to a five-year prison term and deprivation of political rights for two years for “subversion of state power.”
A staff member at Wenshan Community College in Taipei, Lee was arrested on March 19 after entering Guangdong Province from Macau.
China has accused Lee of cooperating with Peng Yuhua (彭宇華), a Chinese citizen, in “organizing, planning and taking action to subvert national authority and overthrow the socialist system.”
China has claimed that the two used online discussion groups to disseminate information and articles that attacked the Chinese government and system.
At the trial’s only hearing on Sept. 11, both Lee and Peng pleaded guilty to the charge in what many described as a “forced confession.”
The verdict was handed down by the Yueyang City Intermediate People’s Court in Hunan Province.
Tien said that Lee had long paid attention to the development of democracy and civil society in China and had decided to share Taiwan’s experiences in this regard with his friends.
“I do believe that Lee had good intentions in doing so, based on his concern for the people on the mainland,” Tien said.
Freedom of speech and rule of law are common values in democratic nations and must be protected, Tien added.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
RSS