Taiwan would continue to strengthen its "democratic defense" capabilities, President William Lai (賴清德) said today as he presented the Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award to Bangladeshi human rights organization Odhikar at a ceremony in Taipei.
The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy recognized international Human Rights Day today by holding the 19th Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award Ceremony, which featured Lai and foundation chairman Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) as speakers.
Lai presented the award along with a grant of US$100,000 to Odhikar’s director ASM Nasiruddin Elan, secretary-general Saira Rahman and other organization leaders.
Photo: Liao Chen-hui, Taipei Times
Lai praised the organization for courageously defending human rights in Bangladesh despite facing numerous challenges.
Odhikar has been dedicated to advancing human and political rights for the Bangladeshi public since its founding in 1994, Lai said.
The organization has played a crucial role in oversight and accountability, publishing annual human rights reports that expose overlooked human rights abuses and revealing hidden atrocities for public scrutiny, he said.
Odhikar’s work has not been easy, with leaders constantly facing harassment, surveillance and even imprisonment, Lai said.
Despite this, they have displayed an indomitable fighting spirit, bravely pursuing democracy and earning public admiration, he added.
Like Bangladesh, Taiwan has also endured repressive authoritarian rule, Lai said.
Taiwanese are now able to enjoy a free and democratic life thanks to the efforts of countless human rights defenders, he said.
Taiwan has become a thriving democratic society and stands at the forefront of defending democracy, he said.
In recent years, Taiwan has been working with the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) to expand collaboration with international partners, sharing its experiences and strategies to combat disinformation and cognitive warfare, which are common threats for democratic countries, Lai said.
Taiwan would continue to strengthen its democratic defense capabilities and partnerships with other countries to collectively bolster global democratic resilience, he said.
The government must take proactive action and engage in open communication with society, Lai said in a Facebook post today commemorating Human Rights Day.
All sectors must work together to ensure that the path of transitional justice in Taiwan can progress, he said in the post.
Additional reporting by CNA
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
RSS