A Taiwanese who made a “V” sign on Tiananmen Square in Beijing was detained for three days by the Chinese Public Security Bureau, Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday, advising the public not to visit China if it is not necessary.
Luo issued the call in response to media queries about the outlawed “Night Ride to Kaifeng” movement in China, initiated by university students on Friday last week with reportedly more than 200,000 participants.
Young people are creative and tend to express their opinions about society in creative ways, and the night ride to Kaifeng is an example of that, he said.
Photo: Screengrab from Huang Wei-wei’s Instagram
However, the Chinese government arbitrarily banned the movement over fears that such gatherings could be used to express dissent — which would not happen in a democratic country, Luo said, adding that it is a good opportunity to remind young Taiwanese about the importance of democracy.
The SEF has recently handled a case where a young Taiwanese was arrested and detained for three days by public security officers in China after she made a “V” sign on Tiananmen Square that covered up the Chinese characters on the entrance to the Forbidden City to say “Long Live the Republic of China” (中華民國萬歲) rather than “Long Live the People’s Republic of China” (中華人民共和國萬歲), Luo said.
The young Taiwanese has been released and returned to Taiwan, he added.
Taking photos while covering the words on the archway with a “V” sign has recently become a trend among young Taiwanese, but they should be careful, as China is not a democratic society, Luo said.
Luo cited another case where a Taiwanese visiting Xinjiang was arrested and detained by local public security officers for using a drone to film the natural scenery.
As China is not a democracy and different to what people are used to in Taiwan, many social behaviors that are regular and normal in Taiwan might not be allowed there, he said.
Taiwanese should be aware not to visit such an unstable and risky society if not necessary, Luo added.
Additional reporting by CNA
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
Taiwan is concerned that China could exploit the US’ war in the Middle East, with state media citing examples from the conflict to cast doubt on the efficiency of US weapons Taiwan would use to repel an invasion. Taiwanese officials said the resumption of Beijing’s large-scale air force incursions near Taiwan after an unusual decline show that China wants to take advantage of the redeployment of US forces from East Asia to the Middle East. “This is a moment for China to exercise influence,” a senior Taiwanese security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “What China is trying to create is a
RSS