For the third year in a row, Taiwan has been named the only country in Asia with an open civic space, a Civicus report released in Bangkok yesterday said.
In its People Power Under Attack 2020 report, the South Africa-based non-governmental organization (NGO) placed 196 countries in five categories — “open,” “narrowed,” “obstructed,” “repressed” or “closed” — based on their basic freedoms, such as freedoms of the press and speech.
Taiwan was one of 42 countries worldwide, and the only one in Asia, in the “open” category.
Out of 25 Asian countries in the report, four were rated as “closed” — China, Laos, North Korea and Vietnam — while nine were categorized as “repressed” and nine as “obstructed.”
Civic space in South Korea and Japan was rated as “narrowed,” the report said.
Taiwan in June hosted one of the few Pride marches worldwide this year, giving the country’s LGBTQI+ community a chance to assert their rights in the public square, the report said.
Taiwan in August established the National Human Rights Commission and granted press credentials to 22 foreign journalists who had been forced to leave China, it said.
However, it also expressed concern about the rights of migrant workers, overly broad laws used by the government to combat misinformation and protest laws that restrict people’s right to hold peaceful assemblies near some government facilities.
The only Asian country to move in this year’s ratings was the Philippines, which was downgraded from “obstructed” to “repressed.”
The reason was a decline in fundamental freedoms, the report said, citing Manila’s closure of leading broadcaster ABS-CBN, the conviction of a prominent journalist on “cyberlibel” charges, and deteriorating conditions for government critics and human rights defenders.
Josef Benedict, a Civicus researcher, said that human rights abuses continued to be the norm in much of Asia this year, with more than 90 percent of the region’s population living in countries classified as closed, repressed or obstructed.
Some of the most common means of curtailing the civic space in Asia were restrictive laws to stifle dissent, censorship of journalists and government critics, harassment of activists and journalists, and crackdowns on protests, the report said.
Among the few positive developments this year were Afghan authorities’ commitment to set up a protection mechanism for human rights defenders and a court ruling in Indonesia that the government’s decision last year to impose an Internet blackout in West Papua had contravened the law, it said.
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
Taipei is to implement widespread road closures around Taipei 101 on Friday to make way for large crowds during the Double Ten National Day celebration, the Taipei Department of Transportation said. A four-minute fireworks display is to be launched from the skyscraper, along with a performance by 500 drones flying in formation above the nearby Nanshan A21 site, starting at 10pm. Vehicle restrictions would occur in phases, they said. From 5pm to 9pm, inner lanes of Songshou Road between Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 are to be closed, with only the outer lanes remaining open. Between 9pm and 9:40pm, the section is
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday hosted a reception to celebrate Double Ten National Day. Conservative Canadian lawmaker Marc Dalton called Taiwan a “beacon of courage and resilience in the face of rising authoritarianism,” according to a post on the Taiwan in Vancouver Facebook page. Also in attendance were fellow conservative caucus members Tako Van Popta and Chak Au, who said that Taiwan plays an “indispensable role” in ensuring global peace, prosperity and stability due to its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region, it said. Canadian lawmaker Michael Cooper also recorded a message wishing Taiwan a
RSS