Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/01/23
By: Elaine Hou and Chung Yu-chen

Taipei, Jan. 23 (CNA) The leader of an international non-governmental organization based in Taipei said Wednesday that while Taiwan has made big strides in the development of democracy, it must guard against complacency in that regard.

Taiwan will continue to champion global freedom and promote its own experience in democratic development internationally, said Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), president of the World League for Freedom and Democracy (WLFD).

Speaking at a conference to mark World Freedom Day, Tseng said, however, that while Taiwan has seen considerable progress in the development of democracy and rule of law, it cannot slide into complacency.

“There still are obstacles to the development of democracy, rule of law and human rights in our country,” Tseng said.    [FULL  STORY]

AN ACCOUNTING: Improvements in attempting to obtain observer status for Taiwan must be included in an annual report by the US secretary of state, the bill stipulates

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 24, 2019
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

The US House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill that would see

Washington’s efforts to help Taipei regain observer status in the WHO included in an annual report by the US secretary of state.

Bill H.R. 353 was passed by a voice vote without objection, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington said.

The bill was introduced earlier this month by US Representative Ted Yoho, who serves as chairman of the Asia and Pacific Subcommittee under the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and cosponsored by US representatives Eliot Engel, Michael McCaul, Steve Chabot and Brian Fitzpatrick.

A similar bill was last year passed by the US House of Representatives, but it did not make it onto the agenda of the US Senate before new legislators were sworn in on Jan. 3.    [FULL  STORY]

A primer on what’s legal, what’s illegal, and how the law can be changed to protect Taiwan’s truly good Samaritans.

he News Lens
Date: 2019/01/22
By: 法操FOLLAW

Whenever news of a crime causes public outrage, there will always be a group of people who follow their own sense of justice and seek out the perpetrators to teach them a lesson. Chan Ho-yeung (陳皓揚), a student who killed a cat, was mobbed and beaten. Parents who abused their daughter, who died from her injuries, had their home destroyed by a mob and littered with ghost paper. A kindergarten was egged and covered in graffiti after staff were filmed mistreating the children.

Most recently, videos surfaced of a man allegedly beating both his son and wife after his son failed to bring hot sauce home with his takeout. After news of the incident surfaced, angered internet users embarked on a manhunt and, when they found him, gave him a beating of his own – which is, of course, also in violation of the law.

But do you know what price you might have to pay for being involved in these sorts of lynch mobs?

Don’t let your moment of anger turn you into a criminal

According to media reports, a man surnamed Lin (林) in New Taipei’s Luzhou district sent his son to buy a steamed glutinous rice meat-dumpling. When he discovered that his son forgot to add hot sauce, Lin got angry and allegedly beat both his son and then his intervening wife (Warning: distressing images).    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/01/22
By: Miu Chung-han and Elizabeth Hsu 
Taipei, Jan. 22 (CNA) Chen Ming-tong (陳明通), head of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), on Tuesday put forth three proposals for maintaining peaceful and stable relations across the Taiwan Strait, which he said is the responsibility of both sides.

First of all, Chen said at a news conference, the people of Taiwan need to set aside political affiliations and prejudices, discard unrealistic rhetoric, and work together to prioritize Taiwan’s interests.

The Taiwanese people should unite to “fight for their livelihood, protect their country’s democracy, and safeguard its sovereignty,” he said.

Second, Chen said, Taiwan must reach a consensus to totally reject Beijing’s “one China, two systems” formula for unification with Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

‘UNGRATEFUL’: Veteran entertainer Lisa Cheng said that Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun’s policies ignore Chiang Kai-shek and his son’s contributions to the nation

The Taipei Times
Date: Jan 23, 2019
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

A veteran entertainer yesterday slapped Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) in

the face, saying she was upset with the minister’s attempts to “discredit” Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and his son, former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國).

The incident occurred at a lunar year-end banquet in Taipei attended by veteran entertainers to mark the end of the Year of the Dog, the Chinese-language Mirror Media magazine reported.

The minister was going from table to table toasting the attendees when Lisa Cheng (鄭心儀), 67, slapped her in the face and then returned to her seat, footage taken at the event showed.

Cheng Li-chiun gasped and put her hand on her cheek, looking surprised and confused.    [FULL  STORY]

Marketing Interactive
Date: 21/01/2019
By: Simon Yuen

McDonald’s Taiwan has sparked controversy with the launch of a new ad, as Chinese netizens claim it supports Taiwanese independence.

Promoting one of the brand’s signature items, the Egg McMuffin, the ad features a female student who drops her admission ticket to an exam, on which the nationality reads Taiwan.  Although the ad was only broadcast in Taiwan, some Chinese netizens still managed to view it and have voiced their belief the restaurant was demonstrating support for Taiwanese independence. Several Chinese netizens pledged to boycott McDonald’s and demanded an explanation over the perceived slight.

The video has already been withdrawn and McDonald’s China has expressed its regret over the ad, saying the ad had stirred up an unnecessary misunderstanding. The company stated its intention to “uphold a solid ‘One China’ stance and continue to support China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. McDonald’s China also made note that it was “grateful for the attention and supervision in the society”.

However, it is important to mention that McDonald’s Taiwan and McDonald’s China are two entirely different companies. In June 2017, Taiwanese restaurant chain operator Deyu Co. acquired McDonald’s assets in Taiwan. Meanwhile, in China, McDonald’s has been owned by CITIC Capital Holdings Ltd. and the US-based private equity firm Carlyle Group through an acquisition deal since January 2017. McDonald’s Taiwan has made no statement on the matter as of writing.    [FULL  STORY]

Support for Taiwanese independence increases 12% in a month

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/01/21
By: Scott Morgan, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation (TPOF, 台灣民意基金會) released the results of their newest survey today, revealing that only 25 percent of the Taiwanese public support the idea of “one country two systems,” and 68 percent do not agree with China’s “one-China principle.”

The poll also revealed that 47.5 percent expect some kind of Taiwanese independence to take place in the future.

The results show a 12 percent increase in support for Taiwanese independence when compared to last month’s results. TPOF suggested that recent threats by Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) had encouraged people who previously supported the status quo to move towards supporting Taiwanese independence.

On Jan. 2, Xi threatened Taiwan to accept unification, and reserved the right to use force to this end. In response, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) saidthat “Taiwan will never accept a ‘one country, two systems’ framework,” and called on the international community to support its democracy against Chinese threats.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/01/21
By: Huang Li-yun and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA) Seven people suspected of being behind the disappearance of 148 Vietnamese nationals who arrived in Taiwan as “tourists” last month have been arrested, a National Immigration Agency (NIA) official said Monday.

Among the individuals arrested, the three main suspects are suspected of being snakeheads and involved in human trafficking while four were cash mules, said Hsieh Wen-chung (謝文忠), head of the NIA’s Southern Taiwan Administration Corps.

The seven will be handed over to the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office for investigation into suspected violations of the Immigration Act, the Human Trafficking Prevention Act, the Criminal Code and the Employment Service Act, according to Hsieh.

The NIA and police authorities are also pursuing four of their accomplices in Vietnam through the international judicial assistance system and will continue to look for others involved in the case, Hsieh said.    [FULL  STORY]

ENHANCING SECURITY: Lai Jui-lung voiced support for an Executive Yuan plan to switch to national ID cards with integrated chips that would be harder to counterfeit

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 22, 2019
By: Chen Yu-fu and Sherry Hsiao  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Fake Republic of China (ROC) identification cards made in China pose the same level

of threat to national security as African swine fever, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) said yesterday.

The national ID card has the best anti-counterfeit technology among all identification documents in the nation, a Ministry of the Interior official said yesterday on condition of anonymity, but added that the ministry has noticed recent cases of fake national IDs “that looked almost authentic.”

China’s ability to supply anti-counterfeit paper, color-changing ink and other materials — some of which can be purchased via the Internet — to produce ROC identification cards could have an impact on Taiwan’s security, the source said.

People could use fake national ID cards to apply for passports, impersonate others or take out loans, or Chinese intelligence officers or spies could use them to engage in clandestine work, the source said.    [FULL  STORY]