Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Most people in Taiwan have short memories. For example, the Control Yuan is Taiwan's watchdog agency. It is supposed to be free of political and party bias and influence. The members serve six year terms. They are appointed by the President and approved by the Legislative Yuan. Herein lies the conflict. From February 2005 the KMT controlled Legislative Yuan refused to approve any nominees of DPP President Chen Shui-bian to the Control Yuan. In 2005 Ma Ying-jeou became Chairman of the KMT and they continued this policy on up to 2008 when Ma became president and could make the nominees himself and have them rubber-stamped by the KMT controlled Legislative Yuan. For three years 2005 to 2008, the country suffered with a minimalist Control Yuan as members terms expired and no replacements were made. The KMT would rather that Taiwan have no governmental watch dog if it could not be dominated by "their people." Now the KMT appointed Control Yuan is being used by the president to harass the opposition. It is things like this that have prompted another letter by the scholars and writers below.

Japanese Representative to Taiwan Tadashi Imai and two Japanese community leaders in Taiwan yesterday thanked Taiwanese for their encouragement and donations for the victims of a massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of the country one month ago.

Imai, Japanese Association in Taiwan chairman Koichiro Kusano and Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry chairman Kishimoto Kyota called a press conference at the Interchange Association, Japan’s representative office, to express their gratitude on behalf of Japanese in Taiwan.