Want China Times
Date: 2015-07-13
By: CNA

President Ma Ying-jeou reiterated twice in Boston Saturday that Taiwan and China have

found a model for peaceful co-existence, namely the so-called “1992 consensus” of “one China, separate interpretations” adopted by Taiwan’s government.

Addressing a banquet in honor of Taiwanese expatriates in the United States, Ma said that the concept of the 1992 consensus was proposed by Taiwan and accepted by China. After the concept was proposed, some people described it as a “masterpiece of ambiguity.”

However, regardless of whether the concept is ambiguous or not, the consensus has indeed helped the two sides of the strait to set aside their sovereignty disputes and pool their efforts for mutual benefits, according to Ma.

To promote peace, Ma said that since he took office, he has been promoting cross-strait relations and the ties between the two sides on the fronts of two-way trade and tourism exchanges have reached their peak in 66 years.     [FULL  STORY]

FIRED UP:The high-school campaigners said they would continue their effort to force the retraction of what they describe as ‘China-centric’ curriculum guideline changes

Taipei Times
Date:  Jul 14, 2015
By: Wu Po-hsuan  /  Staff reporter

Students forced their way into the K-12 Education Administration building in Taipei

yesterday, promising further action by the end of the week if controversial high-school curriculum guidelines are not withdrawn.

About 50 students gathered at the agency’s building — part of the Ministry of Education — at about 3pm, seeking to present their demands to agency officials.

Thirteen forced their way into building before employees pulled a metal gate in front of the entrance.

A standoff followed, as students outside the building forced the gate up, but were unable to break through an interior police cordon.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/07/12
By: Kelven Huang and Jeffrey Wu

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, July 12 (CNA) A U.S. law professor has proposed

that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his initiatives to resolve disputes in the East and South China Seas.

Jerome Alan Cohen, a New York University School of Law professor, made his proposal during a question-and-answer session of a lecture Ma gave at his alma mater Harvard University Saturday, saying that he expects Ma to provide more proactive measures to promote peace on Taiping Island in the South China Sea, according to a person who attended the lecture.

Taiping is the biggest Taiwan-controlled island in the contested and resource-rich South China Sea region, which is claimed either entirely or in part by Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.     [FULL  STORY]

The death toll from Jun 27’s blast at a water park in Taiwan has risen to five after the death of a 22-year-old who suffered 95 per cent burns in the incident.

Channel News Asia
Date: 12 Jul 2015

TAIPEI: The deadly explosion during a “colour party” at a Taiwan water park on Jun 27

has claimed a fifth life, local media reported on Sunday (Jul 12).

Huang Hsiao Hsuan, a 22-year-old female victim, suffered 95 per cent burns in the incident and succumbed to her injuries on Sunday morning.

There are still nearly 300 victims of the blast in intensive care, close to 80 per cent of them are in a critical condition. Around 1,000 spectators attended the Color Play Asia event at the Formosa Fun Coast water park, just outside Taipei.

Amateur footage showed partygoers dancing by a stage when the clouds of powder exploded into flames which swept through the crowd.

Some tried to douse the blaze with fire extinguishers and to put out burning victims who were running screaming for their lives. Three suspects have been released on bail as prosecutors investigate them on charges of offences against public safety and negligence causing severe injuries.

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/07/12
By: Chou Yi-ling and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, July 12 (CNA) Taiwan’s top policymaking body on China, the Mainland Affairs

Council (MAC), called on Beijing on Sunday to put into practice the universal concept of human rights protection in the wake of reports that scores of Chinese human rights activists have been detained by China’s public security agencies.

Only by seeking the common ground of upholding human rights principles can the distance between the people in Taiwan and in China be bridged and long-standing relationship between the two sides be further developed, the MAC said.

At least 57 Chinese human rights attorneys and activists have been detained, questioned or have had their movements restrained and the number has been on the rise, according to overseas groups that follow China’s human rights situation.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-07-12
By: CNA

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said Friday that it will keep trying to have the British

citizen Zain Taj Dean extradited to Taiwan to serve a jail sentence for a hit-and-run accident that killed a newspaper delivery man.

The ministry reiterated its determination for the extradition after a local newspaper reported on Friday that the British government has proposed allowing the time Dean has been detained in the United Kingdom to count toward his sentence in Taiwan.

The ministry declined to confirm whether or not there was such a proposal, but a ministry official, who refused to be named, disclosed that in theory, the idea can be carried out.

Under Taiwan’s Prison Act, the convicted British man, who was sentenced to four years in jail for killing newspaper delivery man Huang Chun-te while driving under the influence of alcohol on March 27, 2010 in Taipei, has to stay behind bars for at least two years and eight months before having the right to apply for a release on probation, the official said.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-07-12
By Ko Lin
Taiwan News, Staff Writer, Taiwan News

Central News Agency (2015-07-12 15:04:22)

A fifth patient of the Formosa Fun Coast dust explosion was pronounced dead on Sunday morning at the Tzu Chi General Hospital, reports confirmed.

The announcement came after the tragic incident on June 27 that injured nearly 500 partygoers. There are currently over 200 patients still in critical condition.

The 22-year-old Huang Hsiao-hsuan, who was in critical condition with 3rd degree burns covering 95 percent of her body, passed away at 7:28 a.m. despite efforts to rescue her.

Huang’s mother, who claimed to have taken extra jobs on the side in order to pay for her daughter’s medical bills, said she was willing to donate her savings to help other families of the water park victims.     [FULL  STORY]

Asia One
July 11, 2015

TAIPEI – Hundreds of people took to Taipei’s streets to call for the legalisation of

same-sex marriage Saturday, throwing water balloons at the headquarters of the ruling party they believe is blocking a proposed amendment to the law.

The march, bolstered by a landmark US ruling on gay unions, was aimed at spurring progress on a gay marriage bill which passed its first reading in parliament in October 2013 but has since been on ice.

In keeping with Taiwan’s parliamentary system, the bill would have to start anew if it fails to pass its third reading before February 2016, the end of the current legislative session.

“If this bill cannot get the approval in the next few months, then all our previous efforts would vanish. You wouldn’t be happy with that, would you?” shouted activist Hsu Hsi-wen, speaking through a loudspeaker from atop a truck to around 600 people gathered outside the headquarters of the Kuomintang (KMT) party.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/07/11
By Christie Chen

Taipei, July 11 (CNA) Hundreds of demonstrators protested Saturday in front of the headquarters of the two major political parties in Taiwan and the Legislative Yuan to express anger over what they perceive to be lawmakers’ delay in reviewing a same-sex marriage bill.

Led by the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights, the demonstrators protested in front of the ruling Kuomintang’s (KMT’s) headquarters in Taipei before marching to the headquarters of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and ending the rally at the Legislative Yuan.

In front of the police-guarded KMT headquarters, the protesters shouted slogans such as “KMT, don’t be the stumbling block in equal marriage rights” and held rainbow flags, as well as placards reading “I want to get married. I am gay.”     [FULL  STORY]

COMPREHENSION:The likely KMT candidate for next year’s presidential election told reporters that they are not able to correctly understand her China policy ideas

Taipei Times
Date:  Jul 12, 2015
By: Alison Hsiao  /  Staff reporter

KMT lawmakers yesterday advised Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presumptive

presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) to focus on internal affairs and economic policies.

KMT Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) said the lunchtime discussion was about public policy.

“I told her that a nation’s leader is unworthy of the title if they cannot provide young people with a vision, make housing affordable and encourage them to have children,” Lo said.

“[Hung] agreed, so she should now begin to work on issues concerning the economy, internal affairs and how to enhance people’s well-being, including by narrowing the wealth gap,” Lo said.     [FULL  STORY]