Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday proposed a resolution to condemn China amid reports that Beijing seeks to arrest DPP Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏楊) for plotting “secession” from China.
Writing in the motion, the DPP caucus said that Beijing’s escalating campaign of intimidation poses an intolerable threat to national security, public safety and the rules-based international order.
Lawmakers from across the political divide are urged to unite in issuing the strongest possible condemnation for China’s attempt to criminalize Shen’s representation of his constituents and spread fear among Taiwanese, it said.
Photo: CNA
The resolution must emphasize that China has no jurisdiction in Taiwan and cannot prevent Taiwanese from engaging in activities by legal sanctions, it said.
Taiwanese enjoy inalienable rights and freedoms under the Constitution, which is not subject to China’s whims, it said.
Under the resolution, lawmakers would pledge to facilitate the government’s efforts to bolster Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities, cooperation with global partners and measures to safeguard national sovereignty.
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency last month reported that Shen is being probed by the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau on allegations of “secession-related” criminal activities, including launching the civil defense organization Kuma Academy.
On Thursday, Chinese police issued a wanted notice for YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝), also known as Pa Chiung (八炯), and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源) for committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing.
DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said the DPP proposed the motion after Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) refused to issue a non-partisan condemnation of Beijing’s tactics.
The resolution has a slew of procedural hurdles to overcome and the DPP does not rule out that it could be killed before entering the legislature’s agenda, she said.
Lawmakers cannot afford to turn a blind eye to China’s attempt to silence political opponents outside of its sovereign territories when the UN has already condemned the practice as a form of human rights abuse, Wu said.
Lawmakers have a responsibility to speak up for the rights of Taiwanese before the global community, she said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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