Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Time to end these futile charades

Jerome Keating

There are charades and then there are charades. So too there are pretentions and then there are pretentions.

While political, economic and even social necessities often dictate that nations and their people are periodically involved in some form of political charade and pretention, there also comes a time when those nations say: “Enough is enough; this is becoming ridiculous.”

That is what recently happened at the Olympics in London in what could be called the Regent Street Affair.

Wrongfully accused ex-NSC official speaks on justice

Taipei Times

Former National Science Council official Shieh Ching-jyh gestures during an interview on Friday in Greater Kaohsiung.
Photo: Huang Chien-hua, Taipei Times

Former National Science Council official Shieh Ching-jyh (謝清志), who was acquitted of corruption charges after a five-and-a-half-year judicial ordeal, said he was neither surprised nor happy at the court ruling declaring him innocent and called for the judicial system to avoid becoming a tool for political administrations.

Shieh made the remarks in an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) on Friday.

No country for old men

Taipei Times Editorial

For those who have long complained about the seemingly apathetic Taiwanese youth on matters of politics, the past two weeks must have had elements of both surprise and relief, with two large student mobilizations taking place in two cities on two different continents: London and Taipei.

The catalyst in both instances was injustice — the removal, following official complaints by China, of the Republic of China (ROC) national flag at a non-Olympic venue in London, and the creation of a pro-China media monster through the acquisition by the Want Want China Times Group of China Network Systems’ (CNS) cable TV services, and the subsequent threat of lawsuits by a Want Want employee against a student.

Ex-president’s daughter treats her father in prison

Taipei Times

Former president Chen Shui-bian’s daughter, Chen Hsing-yu, left, accompanied by Taipei City Councilor Chiang Chih-ming, arrives at Taipei Prison in Taoyuan County on Wednesday to give Chen Shui-bian dental treatment.
Photo: Yu Jui-jen, Taipei Times

Former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) daughter, a dentist, visited her father in prison on Wednesday to treat him for gum disease.

After examining her father’s mouth, Chen Hsing-yu (陳幸妤) said he needed new dentures and further treatment for gum disease.

Chen Hsing-yu’s husband, Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘), an orthopedist, also recently visited his father-in-law, who has been complaining of knee pain.

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