Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/06/10
By: Wang Cheng-chung, Chang Ming-hsuan,
       Liang Pei-chi, Yeh Tze-kung, Wang Hung-guo,
       Wang Shwu-fen and Chung Yu-chen

Taipei, June 10 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and former Premier Lai Ching-te

(賴清德) showed support on Monday for a massive protest in Hong Kong a day earlier and used the opportunity to once again bash the "one country, two systems" formula China uses to govern Hong Kong.

Hong Kongers were protesting a controversial extradition bill that would allow people in the former British territory to be sent to China to face trial, something they fear because of their lack of trust in China's judiciary system.

They also worry the bill will only further strengthen Beijing's growing influence in Hong Kong, even though the city was supposed to retain its own legal and political systems for 50 years under the "one country, two systems" framework after it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Tsai of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) backed the demonstrations in Hong Kong, and stressed that freedom, democracy, and human rights should be safeguarded as they are as essential as air.    [FULL  STORY]

‘UNACCEPTABLE’: The administration and the opposition voiced their support for Hong Kong protesters and again said that the ‘one country, two systems’ is not an option

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 11, 2019
By: Su Yung-yao, Chen Yu-fu and Jonathan Chin  /  Staff reporters, with staff writer

Politicians across party lines yesterday blasted China’s “one country, two systems”

formula for unification, while President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration voiced its support for the tens of thousands in Hong Kong who on Sunday protested against controversial amendments to extradition laws.

Taiwanese must tell the world that the nation rejects China’s “one country, two systems” framework, Tsai said, after demonstrators in Hong Kong clashed with police over changes seen as undermining the territory’s judicial independence.

Tsai made the remarks in a series of Facebook posts from Sunday evening to yesterday morning, urging the nation to stand with Hong Kong’s fight for democracy, and to safeguard Taiwan’s democratic rights and freedoms.

“Freedom, like air, is seldom noticed except when [we are] deprived of it,” Tsai said, adding that Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework is “utterly unacceptable,” as it would deprive the nation of its freedoms and ability to determine its future.    [FULL  STORY]

Hong Kong ree Press
Date: 9 June 2019
By: AFP

Taiwan hit out at Spain on Saturday for deporting nearly 100 of its citizens accused of telecom fraud to China, following years of legal wrangling over the case.

The repatriation of the group — who are suspected of defrauding Chinese nationals over the phone — is likely to heighten cross-strait tensions as Taipei maintains its citizens will not receive a fair trial in China.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its “concern and deep regret” over the move and said in a statement that Spain had ignored calls from the UN not to proceed with the deportations.

The group of 94 Taiwanese were arrested in 2016 after raids by Spanish and Chinese police, according to Beijing.

Lawyers and local rights groups had fought in the Spanish courts to halt the deportations.
[FULL  STORY]

South China Morning Post
Date: 9 Jun, 2019 
By: Sarah Zheng

Last month, after heated elections in the Solomon Islands, the Taiwanese combat support ship Pan Shi arrived on the shores of Taipei’s main ally in the South Pacific. With a flash of a thumbs up, Roger Luo, Taiwan’s ambassador, was joined by the Solomon Islands’ Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele on deck.

“Taiwan-Solomon Islands relations are shipshape and Bristol fashion!” Taiwan’s foreign affairs ministry said, using the 19th century phrase coined for the western English port city and posting photos of the meeting on social media.

But this past week, Manele signalled that the islands’ relationship with Taiwan may be on the rocks within 100 days and Taipei may be abandoned in favour of ties with Beijing, local media reported.

The loss of Taiwan’s largest official partner in the South Pacific after September could trigger a domino effect on others, analysts said.    [FULL  STORY]

The film festival is scheduled to run through June 15

Taiwan News  
Date: 2019/06/09
By:  Central News Agency

BANGKOK (CNA) — The 2019 Taiwan LGBTQ Film Festival in Bangkok kicked off Saturday, with a forum hosted to highlight the process Taiwan went through to legalize same-sex marriage.

The festival opened with the screening of “Small Talk” (日常對話), a documentary directed by Huang Hui-Chen (黃惠偵) detailing her relationship with her mother, at Warehouse 30 in Bangkok, attracting nearly 100 people, including three members of Thailand’s parliament from the Future Forward Party — Klaikong Vaidhyakarn, Nateepat Kulsetthasith and Tunyawaj Kamolwongwat.

After the screening of the film, a forum was hosted by Taiwanese LGBTQ activist Jay Lin (林志杰), founder and CEO of Taipei-based Portico Media and founder of LGBTQ streaming platform GagaOOLala.

Lin expounded on the series of steps Taiwan has taken to become the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage last month, in the hope of making more Thai people know more about Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/06/09
By: William Yen 

Taipei, June 9 (CNA) Tens of thousands of Muslims celebrated Eid al-Fitr, the “festival of the breaking of the fast,” at events in Taipei Sunday that were organized by various city government departments to mark the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Over 30,000 Muslims, mainly Indonesian migrant workers, packed the first floor of the Taipei Main Station, the main transport hub of Taiwan’s capital, to share food, sing and embrace their culture with their compatriots.

Taipei Station Master Huang Jung-hua (黃榮華) said an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 people gathered throughout the day at the station on the first Sunday after Ramadan to celebrate Eid al-Fitr.

The first day of Eid al-Fitr was actually last Wednesday, but because it was a weekday, the vast majority of Indonesian workers came to the station to celebrate on Sunday, as they have that day off work, Huang pointed out.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Mon, Jun 10, 2019
By: Ann Maxon  /  Staff reporter

Hundreds of Hong Kongers yesterday rallied outside the territory’s representative office in

Taipei to protest a proposed extradition law, which they said could further erode the territory’s autonomy.

The rally, organized by Hong Kong students and alumni of Taiwanese universities, drew about 500 protesters to the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office, including former Causeway Bay Books manager Lam Wing-kei (林榮基), who fled to Taiwan in April for fear of being extradited to China, event organizers said.

The Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation Bill proposed by the Hong Kong government goes against public opinion and lacks legal basis, they said in a statement.

The bill and the manner in which the Hong Kong government has been trying to push it through at the expense of proper legislative procedures are “tyrannical,” they said.
[FULL  STORY]

Hong Kong Free Press
Date: 8 June 2019
By: Benedict Rogers

For the second time in less than three months, Taiwan has hosted a conference on religious freedom, with President Tsai Ing-wen delivering a speech on the issue.

Last week President Tsai told the Taiwan International Religious Freedom Forum that

“Taiwan’s religious freedom sets the standard in the Indo-Pacific” as she offered Taiwan’s support to those who are persecuted for their beliefs around the world.

But she also reminded us that Taiwan has not always been free. “Taiwan walked a dark path on the road to religious freedom,” she said. “The freedom we enjoy today is built on the blood, sweat and tears of our predecessors. So we in Taiwan know better than anyone how precious freedom is.”

This speech followed her address to a conference in March alongside U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom Sam Brownback. At the end of that conference, President Tsai appointed Taiwan’s first special ambassador for international religious freedom, Pusin Tali, and committed to donate US$1 million over five years to the U.S. State Department’s International Religious Freedom Fund.

These moves appear to be designed to bolster the positioning of Taiwan as a beacon of democracy and human rights in the region. Building on the work of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy established in 2003 by then president Chen Shui-bian, Tsai’s government appears keen to show the world the contrast between free, democratic Taiwan and the increasing repression in mainland China.    [FULL  STORY]

Peng blames pressure from China

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/06/08
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwanese weather expert Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said Saturday (June 8) that pressure from China was responsible for the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) booting him out of its congress in Geneva.

Peng, a renowned former weather forecaster, now serves as the CEO of WeatherRisk Explore, a company he founded himself.

He had been invited as an observer to the June 3-14 World Meteorological Congress, but on June 6, he was suddenly informed that he would not be allowed to stay, and his credentials were taken away with force, the Central News Agency reported.

Peng said he had first joined a related organization, which told him he would be welcome at the congress in Geneva after registering with the WMO as an observer.
[FULL  STORY]