Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Taiwan, Hong Kong and democracy

Taipei Times Editorial

The pro-democracy movements in Taiwan and Hong Kong have in the past followed different routes, but recent events in Hong Kong suggest there has been a degree of confluence in their trajectories.

For the past 10 or so days, students have staged hunger strikes to protest plans by the Hong Kong government to introduce Chinese patriotism classes in schools, which people suspect are an attempt to brainwash schoolchildren. Tens of thousands of people gathered on the streets of Hong Kong to protest against the planned curriculum changes and eventually succeeded in getting the government to announce it would withdraw plans to introduce the new classes within the next three years. This was a victory for the people of Hong Kong, who stood up for their rights.

Chen health check shows no need for parole: prison

Taipei Times

Former president Chen Shui-bian’s son, Chen Chih-chung, first right, looks on yesterday as police officers take his father in a wheelchair for medical treatment at Taoyuan General Hospital.
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times

Taipei Prison yesterday arranged for former President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to undergo a follow-up medical exam and said that the results showed that Chen was in good health and that he only needs medical treatment in the prison, as opposed to medical parole.

Chen underwent a follow-up at Taoyuan General Hospital yesterday morning.

A group of Chen’s supporters gathered at the hospital lobby, shouting: “A-bian is innocent” when he arrived.

Taiwan rights group calls on US Congress for support

Taipei Times

Chao Tsung-song shows a US newspaper report about the mural he painted in Corvallis, Oregon, in Changhua County on Sept. 4.
Photo: Yen Hung-chun, Taipei Times

Members of the US Congress are being asked to lodge a formal protest with the Chinese government over its efforts to have a large mural promoting Taiwan independence removed from a wall in the town of Corvallis, Oregon.

The Chinese consulate in San Francisco last week wrote to the mayor of Corvallis and sent two diplomats to see her in an attempt to censor the mural.

A manifesto for Taiwan’s youth

J. Michael Cole 寇謐將

It is difficult to imagine how one could not have been moved by the thousands of young people who gathered on Saturday last week, armed with determination, humor, wit and a cornucopia of effigies, placards, banners and costumes, to protest against what they fear is the eventual emergence of a “media monster” should the Want Want China Times Group be allowed to expand its empire.

Although calculating turnout is never an exact science, it is fair to say that the crowd, made up almost entirely of young people, numbered in the thousands and was substantially larger than the organizers — journalist associations, student organizations and various civic groups — had expected.

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