DEMOGRAPHICS
Population decreases
The population decreased last month, marking the 14th consecutive month of declines, Ministry of the Interior data showed. Taiwan’s population at the end of last month was 23,384,614, down 11,435 from the end of January, the data showed. The birthrate of 5.80 per 1,000 people was lower than the death rate of 12.20 per 1,000, the data showed. Net migration had a minimal effect, with 122,992 people moving in during the month, while 122,946 departed, the data showed.
POLITICS
Buddhists sign petition
At least 1,500 Buddhists, including 200 Buddhist masters, had signed a petition in support of a recall campaign against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers as of yesterday, United Microelectronics founder and former chief executive officer Robert Tsao (曹興誠) told a news conference in Taipei. Tsao, the spokesman for the Safeguard Taiwan, Anti-Communist Volunteers Alliance heading the recall movement, called on Buddhists to support the recall campaign as a way of practicing dana (“generosity” in Sanskrit) by giving “the gift of freedom from fear.” Buddhist master Shih Cheng-ding (釋正定) told the same news conference that Taiwan’s Buddhism has long been affected by the Chinese Communist Party’s “united front” tactics.
GOVERNMENT
Foundations tout initiatives
The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the London-based Westminster Foundation for Democracy on Thursday issued a joint statement promoting “smart parliament” initiatives. The statement outlines a mutual commitment to developing “safety, multi-stakeholder participation, artificial intelligence, responsiveness and transparency,” Westminster foundation board member Duncan Hames told a signing ceremony in Taipei. “We hope that our cooperation will help foster democratic values, practices and wider partnerships among our democracies.” That 47 of Taiwan’s 113 legislators are women reflects Taiwan’s democratic achievements and its progress on gender equality, said Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), chairman of the Taiwan foundation.
GOVERNMENT
NPA, Taipei police censured
The Control Yuan yesterday censured the National Police Agency (NPA), the Taipei City Police Department and a Taipei police precinct for failing to properly supervise officers in their handling of a child abuse case last year. Improper use of restraints on a suspect and failure to uphold investigative confidentiality were among the issues in the case related to a social worker surnamed Chen (陳), the Control Yuan said in a report. The case involved two sisters who worked as foster caregivers. They were accused of abusing a one-year-old boy, leading to his death in late 2023. Chen was under investigation on suspicion of falsifying reports of visits to where the sisters housed the child and negligence leading to his death. She was handcuffed while being transferred for questioning on March 12 last year. The decision to cuff her in full view of the media sparked a public outcry. Police planned Chen’s transfer route to maximize media exposure and even persuaded her to briefly pose for photographers, the report said. Officers contravened multiple regulations regarding criminal procedure, the use of restraints and confidentiality in investigations, while the prosecutor in charge also failed to remove Chen’s handcuffs during questioning, breaching judicial procedures, it said.
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
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