Taiwan and Tibet share a democratic way of governance, and China’s oppression cannot make Tibetans abandon their belief in democracy, the Central Tibetan Administration’s Sikyong Penpa Tsering said in a pre-recorded message at an event yesterday marking the 62nd anniversary of the founding of Tibet’s government-in-exile.
Tsering’s pre-recorded comments were played at an event at the legislature in Taipei jointly held by the Taiwan Tibetan Welfare Association, the Dalai Lama’s Tibet Education Foundation and the Taiwan Parliament Group for Tibet to mark the founding of the Tibetan parliament in exile.
The 14th Dalai Lama and 80,000 Tibetans were exiled after China invaded the country in 1959, and on Sept. 2, 1960, the Dalai Lama established the organization now known as the Tibetan government-in-exile, becoming the first democratic body in Tibet.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan has experienced increased Chinese aggression around its territory this year, Tsering said.
However, he said he believes that Taiwan is prepared to counter China’s threat and prevent a Chinese invasion.
Independent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) said at the event that the Tibetan efforts over the past two decades had not been wasted, citing the first democratic election of the Central Tibetan Administration’s sikyong Lobsang Sangay in 2012.
The act symbolizes Tibet’s maturity as a nation and that the sikyong is no longer a symbolic role, Lim said.
Taiwan Parliament Group for Tibet Deputy Director-General Hung Shen-han (洪申翰) said he witnessed the accomplishments of the Central Tibetan Administration’s efforts over the past 10 years when in June he attended the 8th World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet with Lim.
The attending members talked not only about Tibet, but also about how the international community should act against the oppression of authoritarian states, Hung said.
Tibetans have experiences to share with other countries suffering Chinese oppression, Hung added.
The former Soviet Union and the Chiang (蔣) family of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) are examples of oppressive dictatorships, New Power Party Legislator Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) said that many support a democratic Tibetan government, adding that she hopes Tibetans continue their fight against the tyranny of the Chinese.
Wuer Kaixi, a prominent leader of China’s 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and living in exile in Taiwan, said his people, the Uighurs, have paid a great price for their resistance, but their sacrifice has allowed the world to understand the nature of the Chinese government.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
RSS