Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Taiwan's justice reform must be civic driven

Taiwan News Editorial

The scandal over the bribery of Taiwan High Court judges by a former ruling Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) politician and a series of unreasonable verdicts has sparked renewed awareness of the urgency of the comprehensive and thorough reform of Taiwan's judicial system.

Most of Taiwan society was stunned and incensed by the apparent success of former KMT legislator and ex-Miaoli County commissioner Ho Chih-hui, now a fugitive, to bribe three High Court judges to deliver an innocent verdict on second appeal.

War game gives Taipei just three days: 'Next'

Taipei Times

The latest computerized scenario carried out by the military showed that in a war with China, Taipei would be occupied by enemy forces in just three days, a magazine report said yesterday.

Last month’s simulation, attended by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), came amid warnings that China was expected to increase the number of its missiles aimed at Taiwan by several hundred to more than 1,900 by the end of this year. These include ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and other weaponry deployed throughout China.

Farmers and food safety at risk

Lee Wu-chung 李武忠

The controversy over the expropriation of farmland for a science park in Miaoli County’s Dapu Borough (大埔) may have calmed down for the time being, but there are many other cases involving the compulsory takeover of privately owned land for industrial expansion, including the Chengnan (城南), Yilan City base of the Hsinchu Science-Based Industrial Park, the third phase of the Central Taiwan Science Park at Houli (后里) and the fourth phase of the same park at Erlin (二林), all of which come under the authority of the National Science Council. These cases are likely to provoke a string of protests by farmers who want to keep tilling the land, and such demonstrations are part of an emerging new wave of civic consciousness.

China blocks Google’s HK question page

Taipei Times

A question-and-answer page on Google Hong Kong’s Web site became inaccessible to some Chinese users yesterday, underscoring Beijing’s sensitivity about the Internet.

The Chinese government, obsessed with maintaining social stability and controlling the flow of information, requires all search engines operating on the mainland to self-censor. It uses a “Great Firewall” to block overseas sites with content it considers subversive or dangerous.

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