Taiwanese promoting civil defense awareness and national unity in the face of China's invasion threat set off from Tainan today on the third day of a nine-day relay march from Kaohsiung to Taipei.
"Prepare for civil defense, protect Taiwan," shouted activists on the Tainan-Yunlin section of the march organized by the Kuma Civil Defense Education Association, an NGO cofounded by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋).
Photo: Wang Mei-hsiu, Taipei Times
"I hope that during this northward journey, more people and civil organizations show their support so everyone hears the voices representing Taiwanese, that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country," said a Tainan native surnamed Hou (侯) who attended the full day's journey yesterday.
More than 50 groups of activists are to join in stages to complete the 380km "Stand Up as Taiwan" march across 13 cities and counties, according to the group's Web site.
Largely following Provincial Highway 1 along Taiwan's western half, the march route uses train stations as relay points from the south to the north.
The group expects about 1,000 people to gather at the event's final stop at Huashan 1914 Creative Park in Taipei on Sunday.
Established in 2021, the association, also known as the "Black Bear Academy" or Kuma Academy, aims to "prepare a pre-war mentality for civilians" and "cultivate self-defense capability and will to defend Taiwan," according to the group's Web site.
Beijing has threatened people associated with the association.
In October, China's Taiwan Affairs Office put the Taiwanese NGO on an official public list of "die-hard Taiwan independence separatists."
Shen and one of the group's financiers, businessman Robert Tsao (曹興誠), were also denounced by China as "die-hard Taiwan independence separatists" — a crime potentially punishable by death according to court guidelines published by China in June.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS