Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

The problem with referendums

Ian Inkster 音雅恩

By now most people will have at least absorbed the basic results of the Dec. 18 referendums. There is bound to be a continued and heated debate as to what they mean and how they will affect politics in the new year and well beyond. Whatever the questions, referendums always suffer from an absence of useful and reliable knowledge.

The bigger the issue, the greater the importance of good information and understanding, but there is less likelihood of voters obtaining such knowledge. This might explain the low turnout. Only 3.7 million people voted in favor of the questions, with 4.1 million voters deciding against the proposals.

Taipei councilors, Amnesty decry TRTC’s ‘censorship’

Taipei Times

Amnesty International Taiwan secretary-general Chiu E-ling, left, and other human rights advocates speak to reporters in Taipei yesterday, accusing Taipei Rapid Transit Corp of political censorship.
Photo: CNA

Human rights advocates and several Taipei city councilors yesterday accused Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC, 臺北捷運) of political censorship, after it reportedly rejected an advertisement that mentioned “China” and “Lee Ming-che” (李明哲).

Amnesty International Taiwan had planned to post a comic advertisement on Taipei’s MRT lines on Human Rights Day, Dec. 10, to increase public awareness about Lee, a human rights advocate who has been detained in China since 2017, association secretary-general Chiu E-ling (邱伊翎) said.

Proof of Beijing’s true character

Hong Tsun-ming 康駿銘

Hard on the heels of the referendums in Taiwan, Hong Kong held its first legislative election since the electoral system was overhauled under the direction of Beijing.

According to the new system, 40 of the 90 seats in the Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo) were elected by the 1,500-member Election Committee, which has only one non-establishment member.

Previously, 35 of the 70 LegCo seats — 50 percent — were directly elected, but this time, 20 of the newly increased 90 seats — less than one-quarter — were directly elected, and were instead elected by the committee.

Tsai promotes 23, calls for boost to combat readiness

Taipei Times

President Tsai Ing-wen, left, congratulates newly promoted senior military personnel at a ceremony in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: CNA

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday called on the armed forces’ newly promoted military generals to work with the government to beef up combat readiness and show the world Taiwan’s resolute will to defend itself against threats from China.

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