Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

‘Extraordinarily tight’ control forcing monks to commit suicide in Tibet: US

Phayul Stringer

DHARAMSHALA, September 14: “Control over religious practice and the day-to-day management of monasteries and other religious institutions continued to be extraordinarily tight” says a new report on religious freedom in Tibet adding that "several monks also reportedly committed suicide as a result of the harsh conditions and religious restrictions."

The US State Department in its annual report on International Religious Freedom released Tuesday expressed continued concern over the protection of fundamental human rights in Tibet citing that “the government's level of respect for religious freedom remained poor in Tibet”.

“Although China’s constitution protects religious freedom for all citizens but, in practice, the government generally enforced other laws and policies that restrict religious freedom,” the US State Department noted under the Tibet section of its report.

US cables expose ugly truth about politicians

Chan Chang-chuan 詹長權

The confidential US diplomatic cables involving Taiwan from 2007 to 2009 released by WikiLeaks on Aug. 30 have shed light on the relationships between senior members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and their competition for power. The scariest part of these leaked cables are details about how the likes of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) have been struggling for power in the KMT, as well as the degree of infighting within the KMT itself.

These documents are truly shocking and terrifying. In essence, they show just how bad these politicians are, how dishonest they are and how their actions are very different from the image they have long held up to the public.

US senator unveils bill to force jet sale

Taipei Times

US Senator John Cornyn introduced a new bill to the US Congress ordering US President Barack Obama to sell 66 F-16C/D aircraft to Taiwan.

The Cornyn bill — officially known as The Taiwan Airpower Modernization Act of 2011 — was cosponsored by US Senator Robert Menendez.

It aims to provide Taiwan with “critically needed multirole fighter aircraft to strengthen its self-defense capability against the increasing military threat from China.”

Ma doesn’t deserve a second term

Lin Terng-yaw 林騰鷂

Sept. 3 was Armed Forces Day in Taiwan. This year, with the Republic of China’s centennial approaching, the day provided an opportunity for retired senior officers to gather and show their support for a particular political party. News media showed these retirees taking the standpoint of their favored party and questioning what justification the chairman of a smaller party with no administrative resources might have to stand as a candidate in next year’s presidential election.

Their concern has something to do with the pressures created by an unreasonable electoral system, but it also demonstrates their poor grasp of democracy. It also runs contrary to the military’s mission to protect all the nation’s citizens. As soldiers in a democratic country, it might be a good idea for them to also consider what justification President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has for seeking a second term, in light of the following concerns.

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