The China Post
Date: March 2, 2017
By: Stephanie Chao, The China Post and CNA

TAIPEI, Taiwan — President Tsai Ing-wen Wednesday called sustainable water

Dry ground in the Sonoran Desert, Mexico. (Photo: Tomas Castelazo)

management the government’s “most important policy responsibility,” as water shortages brought on by low rainfall saw rationing introduced in the parts of Taiwan.

Tsai said there was a need to roll out and invest in technology-driven sustainable water resource management to overcome what had become a “yearly obstacle.”

Her comments came following a meeting of the party’s Central Standing Committee, where Minister for Economic Affairs Lee Chih-kung presented a report on the nation’s water resources.

The report was presented on the same day as phase-one water rationing came into effect in parts of Taiwan.

Lee reported that due to the climate change, the chances of extreme wet and dry seasons would increase, resulting in a severe imbalance in the distribution of rainfall throughout the year.   [FULL  STORY]

The News Lens
Date: 2017/02/28
By: TNL Staff

For many in Taiwan, February 28 is a day to reflect on the country’s brutal history, but the somber occasion has been marred by distractions this year.

Taiwanese today commemorate the 70th anniversary of the 228 Incident; the 1947 event sparked a brutal crackdown by the Kuomintang (KMT or Chinese Nationalist Party), leading to tens of thousands of deaths and marking the start of the White Terror and 38 years of martial law.

Yesterday, hundreds of human rights activists marched in Taipei, calling for more action on the 1947 event. A day earlier, in a bid to advance transitional justice, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) announced the government would declassify all historical records relating to the 228 Incident.    [FULL  STORY]

Woman in her fifties was on 5-day tour of Thailand

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/02/28
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A Taiwanese woman traveler was found dead in the swimming

The bay at Pattaya, Thailand.(By Wikimedia Commons)

pool of a hotel in the Thai seaside resort of Pattaya, reports said Tuesday.

The woman from Yilan County, named Wang, had apparently gone swimming in the morning before the pool had been open to guests, reports said.

Wang, in her fifties, had been taking part in a five-day trip to Thailand organized by ET Holidays.

She reportedly arrived at the hotel pool on Monday morning at 7 a.m. in the company of two friends, but was told swimming was not allowed until 8 a.m. Nevertheless, she still went ahead and entered the water, according to local police reports.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/02/28
By: Chang Ming-hsuan

Taipei, Feb. 28 (CNA) A 69-year-old man who contracted the H7N9 avian flu virus in China last month has died, becoming the first Taiwanese victim of that virus strain, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday.

The businessman died late Monday, said Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞), deputy director-general of the CDC. The patient had been in hospital in Kaohsiung for 27 days after falling ill in China and returning to Taiwan on Jan. 25 to seek medical help.

Since 2013, it was the fifth confirmed human infection in Taiwan of H7N9, a subtype of the avian influenza A virus, and the man was the second patient to have died from the disease.    [FULL  STORY]

YEARLY PROTEST:University student Lo Yi said statues of Chiang Kai-shek are tampered with every year and restored, but they should be toppled ‘once and for all’

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 01, 2017
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter

Three students and a fourth person were arrested at New Taipei City’s Fu Jen Catholic

Notes bearing the names of 228 Incident victims are plastered on a damaged bronze statue of Chiang Kai-shek at Fu Jen Catholic University in New Taipei City yesterday. Photo: CNA

University at 1am yesterday after allegedly attempting to topple a bronze statue of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and obstructing police officers.

Equipped with an angle grinder, a generator and a rope, student Lo Yi (羅宜) allegedly began cutting the statue at 12:30am, which drew the attention of university guards.

Officers from the Sinjhuang Precinct’s Fuying Police Station arrived minutes later.

Precinct investigation brigade head Chang Chun-ming (張俊明) told the students that their actions were in breach of the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法) and constituted vandalism, adding that they would be arrested if they did not stop.
[FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: March 1, 2017
By: Stephanie Chao, The China Post and CNA

TAIPEI, Taiwan — President Tsai Ing-wen said Tuesday that Taiwan needed to revisit its

President Tsai Ing-wen speaks in Taipei on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at a ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the 228 Incident. (CNA)

past to ensure its future, as she marked the 70th anniversary of the 228 Incident by promising new measures to find those responsible for the massacre.

“Reconciliation must be built upon the truth,” Tsai told family members of those killed or forced to flee because of the incident, an uprising that led to a bloody crackdown by Kuomintang troops.

At the ceremony, which was also attended by Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je and was hosted by the Memorial Foundation of 228, Tsai said that with the National Archives Administration having recently completed its decryption of 228 Incident-related files, it would move on to compiling related political party and government files starting today.

In addition, Tsai said, new investigation efforts spanning numerous government agencies would be launched to dig up and collate information on the 228 Incident and ensuing White Terror, such as confessions, records of monitored conversations, court rulings and official government documents.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
2017-02-27
Protests were held at the book release. (CNA)

Academia Sinica historian Chen Yi-shen released a new book on Monday about the truth behind the 228

Protests were held at the book release. (CNA)

Incident. The incident refers to the anti-government uprising on February 28, 1947 that was suppressed by the Kuomintang-led government and led to the killing of thousands of civilians.

When asked who was responsible for the incident, Chen said that Chiang Kai-shek bore the most responsibility.

“The Central Standing Committee and high ranking defense committees had already decided to remove Chen Yi from office. But Chiang Kai-shek did not listen and protected him. Advisors also said Peng Meng-chi was not suitable to be in charge of the nation’s troops, but he still put Peng in charge of the nation’s troops in the summer of 1947. We know that Peng Meng-chi killed a lot of people during the White Terror Era, so it is reasonable for people to put the blame on Chiang Kai Shek,” said Chen.

People who disagreed with Chen’s interpretation of the incident protested vehemently during the press conference. The protests caused such a disturbance that the police had to come and deal with the situation.    [FULL  STORY]

xpedia’s survey identifies 10 most unwelcome types of air passengers

Taiwan News
Date: 017/02/271
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei (Taiwan News)–According to a recent survey by online travel agency Expedia, drinking too much is

According to a recent survey, drinking too much is the most vexing in-flight behavior.(By Central 3News Agency)

the most vexing in-flight behavior.

In the survey identifying the 10 most unwelcome types of air passengers, travelers who consume too much in-flight alcohol top the list, followed by those who talk too loudly or listen to loud music and those who keep kicking the seat in front.

In addition, parents who can’t control their noisy children, travelers who have strong body odor or wear too much perfume or cologne are also classed as unwelcome, according to Expedia. The survey also found that 80 percent of the Taiwanese surveyed will report erratic behavior to flight attendants.

The travel agency also said that most Taiwanese will observe in-flight etiquette as the survey showed that close to 90 percent of respondents will clean their seats before leaving, and 83 percent of them are considerate of other travelers and will avoid bothering others, usually by taking a nap, watching movies or looking out the window.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/02/27
By: Sabine Cheng and Kuo Chung-han

Taipei, Feb. 27 (CNA) The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall will be closed to the public on Feb. 28 out of respect for 228 Incident memorial activities and to prevent social confrontation, Culture Minister Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said on Monday.

Before the completion of the enactment and implementation of transitional justice, the hall will be closed on Feb. 28 in the years to come, Cheng added.

The closure follows comments Cheng made on Feb. 25 as the Republic of China (Taiwan) prepared to mark the 70th anniversary of the 228 Incident three days later, in which she announced a series of measures to push for transitional justice, including transforming the hall, which is managed by her ministry.

Cheng said she understood that there are different ideas in society on how to transform the hall, and indicated that the Ministry of Culture will hold discussions on the issue, but she hoped all sectors of society could hold a rational dialogue on the issue.    [FULL  STORY]