President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said the newly launched National Archives offer the public a deeper, unifying understanding of the pioneers of Taiwan’s democracy.
“The opening of the National Archives demonstrates not only the government’s determination to protect national records and preserve collective memory, but also our firm commitment to the openness of political archives — an important milestone in transitional justice,” Lai said at the launch ceremony in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口).
“I believe that through the openness of archives, more people will understand the resolve of those who pursued democracy before us, appreciate the value of democracy, rule of law and human rights, and further unite to safeguard Taiwan’s freedom,” Lai said.
Photo: Huang Cheng-chia, Taipei Times
Taiwan, as a democracy, has a political system driven by party politics and competition, but Taiwanese must be united in facing the struggles of the future, he said.
“What aggressors fear most is the strength of unity,” he said. “Together, let us confront the past with truth as our foundation, deepen dialogue and unite our strength so Taiwan could continue to move forward firmly on the path of freedom and democracy.”
The National Archives is responsible for collecting and preserving important records from all levels of government, valuable documents from private groups and Taiwan-related records held overseas, Lai said.
Photo: CNA
Government agencies at all levels must transfer their archives, and no agencies may conceal or refuse to turn over requested documents, he said.
When managing its collections, the National Archives should follow the principle of “maximum openness and minimal restriction,” thereby facilitating efforts to scrutinize government actions and achieve transparency, Lai said.
He encouraged the National Archives to collaborate with schools, civic groups and local cultural institutions to cultivate evidence-based reasoning skills and deepen understanding of how Taiwan’s politics, economy, industry and literature developed, Lai said.
On Sept. 10, the number of days since the lifting of martial law in 1987 has surpassed the number of days Taiwan was under martial law from 1949 to 1987, he said.
Lai expressed his gratitude to the National Archives for displaying original archival documents such as the order lifting martial law, the amendment to Article 100 of the Criminal Code and other landmark documents that were crucial to Taiwan’s democratization.
“I invite the Taiwanese to visit the National Archives, and witness how Taiwan emerged from the shadows of authoritarianism and moved toward the light of democracy, step by step,” he added.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
More than half of the bamboo vipers captured in Tainan in the past few years were found in the city’s Sinhua District (新化), while other districts had smaller catches or none at all. Every year, Tainan captures about 6,000 snakes which have made their way into people’s homes. Of the six major venomous snakes in Taiwan, the cobra, the many-banded krait, the brown-spotted pit viper and the bamboo viper are the most frequently captured. The high concentration of bamboo vipers captured in Sinhua District is puzzling. Tainan Agriculture Bureau Forestry and Nature Conservation Division head Chu Chien-ming (朱健明) earlier this week said that the
BREACH OF CONTRACT: The bus operators would seek compensation and have demanded that the manufacturer replace the chips with ones that meet regulations Two bus operators found to be using buses with China-made chips are to demand that the original manufacturers replace the systems and provide compensation for breach of contract, the Veterans Affairs Council said yesterday. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) yesterday said that Da Nan Bus Co and Shin-Shin Bus Co Ltd have fielded a total of 82 buses that are using Chinese chips. The bus models were made by Tron-E, while the systems provider was CYE Electronics, Lin said. Lin alleged that the buses were using chips manufactured by Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon Co, which presents a national security risk if the
The National Immigration Agency has banned two Chinese from returning to Taiwan, after they published social media content it described as disrespectful to national sovereignty. The agency imposed a two-month ban on a Chinese man surnamed Liang (梁) and a permanent ban on a woman surnamed Yang (楊), an influencer with 23 million followers, in October last year and last week respectively. Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) yesterday said on the sidelines of a legislative meeting that Chinese visitors to Taiwan are required to comply with the rules and regulations governing their entry permits. The government has handled the ban and
RSS