The Ministry of the Interior on Wednesday launched a series of events to commemorate Freedom of Speech Day observed annually on April 7 since 2016, including movie screenings and walking tours in Taipei.
At an opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of the Interior Wu Tang-an (吳堂安) said the commemorative events from Wednesday to May 25 seek to go beyond Taiwan’s democratic movement and provide a glimpse into how other nations fought for freedom and democracy.
“Through this diverse range of activities, we look forward to showcasing the hard work and bravery demonstrated by individuals in Taiwan and around the world who have advocated for democracy and freedom,” he said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of the Interior
Seven movies were selected for special screenings on Saturdays and Sundays over the next seven weeks, featuring stories of people who attempted to live under authoritarian regimes with dignity, or even stand up and oppose oppression.
They include Broken Keys, a movie by Lebanese director Jimmy Keyrouz about a musician who tries to rebuild his piano destroyed by extremists, and No Bears by Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who is known for being politically vocal with his satirical works.
Each movie showing would be followed by a talk given by writers, academics or journalists, the ministry said.
In addition to movie showings, four walking tours would be held in Taipei, allowing participants to visit sites symbolic to the democratic movement.
No registration is needed for those who wish to take part in the events.
“Freedom of Speech Day” was designated by the Executive Yuan in 2016 to remember democracy advocate and political magazine publisher Nylon Cheng (鄭南榕), who self-immolated at his office on April 7, 1989, in protest as the authorities attempted to arrest him on charges of sedition.
Taiwan was under martial law from 1949 to 1987, during which time freedom of speech, association and publication were heavily suppressed.
Even after martial law was lifted, freedom of speech continued to be stifled until Article 100 of the Criminal Code, which provided for the imprisonment of people deemed by the authorities to be guilty of anti-state activities, was amended in 1992.
Cheng Chu-mei (鄭竹梅), daughter of the late activist and president of the Nylon Foundation, underscored the importance of telling her father’s story and what he achieved for Taiwan’s democratization every year.
“I don’t know how Taiwan will commemorate this day over the next 10 or 35 years, but I hope we will continue to have the freedom and the right to remember him,” she said.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by