Page Three

Control Yuan could probe sex assault conviction rate

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 24, 2018
By: Chung Li-hua  /  Staff reporter

Control Yuan members Wang Yu-ling (王幼玲) and Lin Ya-feng (林雅鋒) on Wednesday said they would apply to launch an investigation into judge training programs for sexual assault cases, as the conviction rate in such cases is low and punishments tend to be light.

According to sexual assault and harassment case statistics from 2013 to 2016, of the defendants who were in a more powerful position than the plaintiff, only 38 were convicted — 1.58 percent of all such lawsuits during the period, Wang and Lin said in a statement, adding that most suspects were sentenced to only six to 12 months in prison.

When there is a power imbalance, victims are less likely to seek help for fear of retaliation and it is more difficult to collect evidence, they said.

Judges handling such cases need to be more sensitive to the victims’ vulnerable position, they said.    [FULL  STORY]

First VR short film of Taiwan’s scenery premieres

Radio Taiwan Internatrional
Date: 2018-08-22

The first ever 360-degree VR promotional short of Taiwan’s natural beauty

The first ever 360-degree VR promotional short of Taiwan’s natural beauty has premiered at the SPOT Huashan Cinema in Taipei. (CNA Photo)

has premiered at the SPOT Huashan Cinema in Taipei.

Commissioned by the Tourism Bureau, the short film is the result of collaboration between a number of creative talents. The filmmakers captured footage from a wide variety of locations, including the mountains and the sea, and used theatrical elements to produce a short video that promotes Taiwan’s beautiful scenery.

The film is shot with virtual reality (VR) cameras, and it allows the viewers to freely change their perspective to explore their surroundings from all angles.

In the future, the Tourism Bureau plans to showcase the film at international tourism exhibitions as well as Taiwan’s representative offices abroad.
[FULL  STORY]

Hong Kong student whose girlfriend was killed on Taiwan holiday faces theft and money laundering trial

Chan Tong-kai, 19, will face a jury at the High Court on charges related to property belonging to his lover Poon Hiu-wing, who was found dead outside Taipei in March

South China Morning Post 
Date: August, 2018
By: Jasmine Siu

A Hong Kong student whose pregnant girlfriend was killed during their holiday to Taiwan in February will stand trial at the city’s highest criminal court on charges of theft and money laundering.

Prosecutors on Wednesday laid out a raft of charges against Chan Tong-kai, 19, and applied to send his case to the Court of First Instance, where he will be tried by a jury.

Hongkonger, 19, ‘killed girlfriend then stuffed her body in a suitcase’

The teenager faces four counts of dealing with property known or believed to represent the proceeds of an indictable offence, as well as three alternative counts of theft, Kwun Tong Court heard. A murder investigation is ongoing over the death of his girlfriend, Poon Hiu-wing, 20.

The property in question included Poon’s HSBC bank card, a Casio digital camera, an iPhone 6, and NT$20,000 (US$650) and HK$19,200 (US$2,445) in cash.    [FULL  STORY]

 

Taiwan’s Kaohsiung to hold ‘2018 Southeast Asia Film Festival’

Movies from Thailand, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam will be shown at the film festival

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/08/22
By: Jessica Adriana, Taiwan News

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Kaohsiung Municipal Social Education Center will hold the “2018 Southeast Asia Film Festival” (2018遠近之間-東南亞影展) every weekend from Aug. 26 to Sept. 15.

There are four movies from New Southbound Policy countries that are going to be played at Kaohsiung Municipal Social Education Hall, including films from Thailand, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam.

The first movie that will be featured is the Thai heist thriller film called “Bad Genius” (模犯生). It tells the story about a genius high school student called Lynn who helps students to cheat on exams. The movie broke records for being the highest grossing Thai film in Taiwan last year, and grossed NT$1 billion dollars (US$32,576,000) at Taiwan’s box office.

“Bad Genius” will screened on Aug. 26 at 2:30 pm. Online registration is open until Aug. 24 at noon and is limited to 1,300 viewers.  [FULL  STORY]

Typhoons cause flight disruptions on Thursday

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/08/22
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, Aug. 22 (CNA) Typhoons Soulik and Cimaron, which are crossing

Image taken from Central Weather Bureau

waters among Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, have led to flight rescheduling for Thursday, local carriers said Wednesday.

EVA Airways said it will cancel round-trip flights BR129/BR130, BR179/BR180 between Taoyuan and Osaka, as well as flights BR149/BR150 between Taoyuan and Incheon.

Flight BR160 from Taoyuan to Incheon will take off earlier at 1 p.m., while return flight BR159 will also depart earlier at 5:30 p.m., according to EVA Air.

Its flight BR172 from Kaohsiung to Incheon will take off earlier at 1:20 p.m., with return flight BR171 departing earlier at 6:15 p.m.    [FULL  STORY]

DIPLOMACY: Analysis—Taiwan’s ongoing battle for allies and identity

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 23, 2018
By:  AFP, TAIPEI

Taiwan’s loss of another diplomatic ally to China is the latest strike in a multi-pronged effort to isolate the nation, undermine its claims to sovereignty and render it invisible on the global stage.

As President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) refuses to bend to Beijing’s demand that she recognize its “one China” principle, the Chinese government has stepped up its campaign to shrink the nation’s status.

Major international businesses, including airlines and hotels, have caved to pressure to list Taiwan as part of China on their Web sites. Taiwan has also been shut out of numerous high-profile global forums at Beijing’s request, and China has stepped up military drills around the nation.

Salvadoran President Sanchez Ceren on Tuesday said its decision to switch ties from Taipei to Beijing was part of the “inevitable trends of our day,” while Taiwan accused China of using “yuan diplomacy” to lure away its supporters.    [FULL  STORY]

Salvador denies asking Taiwan for money before China switch

The Washington Post
Date: August 21, 2018
By: Marcos Aleman | AP

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — Salvadoran authorities on Tuesday denied

Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, left, shows the way to Medardo Gonzalez, center, a Salvadoran politician, Secretary General of the ruling party of El Salvador, and El Salvador Foreign Minister Carlos Castaneda during their meeting at the Zhongnanhai Leadership Compound in Beijing Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. Taiwan broke off diplomatic ties with El Salvador on Tuesday as the Central American country defected to rival Beijing in the latest blow to the self-ruled island China has been trying to isolate on the global stage. (Roman Pilipey/Pool Photo via AP) (Associated Press)

having asked Taiwan for money in exchange for maintaining diplomatic relations with the self-governing island, saying its decision to switch recognition to China was due to the enormous advantages of trading with the economic giant.

In an interview with state television, presidential spokesman Roberto Lorenzana called Taiwan’s allegations “base” and “totally false,” noting that other countries have opted to have diplomatic and commercial relations with Beijing.

“We cannot turn our back on the world, ignore that China is the second largest power in the world and the leading export economy on the planet,” Lorenzana said. “It is key for our country.”

President Salvador Sanchez Ceren announced Monday night in a televised address that his country would break from more than 80 years of relations with Taipei and immediately switch to Beijing.    [FULL  STORY]

Tsai calls for unity in face of China’s bullying

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-08-21

President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday called for national unity in the face of

President Tsai Ing-wen has called for national unity in the face of bullying tactics from China intended to attack Taiwan’s sovereignty. (Photo by CNA)

bullying tactics from China intended to attack Taiwan’s sovereignty.

The president was speaking after a break in diplomatic ties with El Salvador, which has announced it will form ties with Beijing. Tsai said putting pressure on Taiwan’s allies to break ties is one tactic used by Beijing. Others include conducting military drills intended to intimidate, and coercing foreign companies to refer to Taiwan as Chinese territory.

Tsai said Taiwan must stand united across political lines, where Beijing would seek to exploit division.    [FULL  STORY]

The simple but ingenious system Taiwan uses to crowdsource its laws

Taiwan is a promising experiment in participatory governance. But politics is blocking it from getting greater traction.

Technology Review
Date: August 21, 2018
By: Chris Horton
It was late in 2015, and things were at an impasse. Some four years earlier, Taiwan’s finance ministry had decided to legalize online sales of alcohol. To help it shape the new rules, the ministry had kicked off talks with alcohol merchants, e-commerce platforms, and social groups worried that online sales would make it easy for children to buy liquor. But since then they had all been talking past each other. The regulation had gotten nowhere.

That was when a group of government officials and activists decided to take the question to a new online discussion platform called vTaiwan. Starting in early March 2016, about 450 citizens went to vtaiwan.tw, proposed solutions, and voted on them.

Within a matter of weeks, they had formulated a set of recommendations. Online alcohol sales would be limited to a handful of e-commerce platforms and distributors; transactions would be by credit card only; and purchases would be collected at convenience stores, making it nearly impossible for a child to surreptitiously get hold of booze. By late April the government had incorporated the suggestions into a draft bill that it sent to parliament.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan donates US$250,000 to Indonesia for post-quake relief

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/08/21
By: Chi Jo-yao and Ko Lin

Jakarta, Aug. 21 (CNA) Taiwan’s government donated US$250,000 to

(From right to left) Chen Chung (陳忠), Ginandjar Kartasasmita and Lai Wei-hsin (賴維信)

Indonesia Tuesday to help with relief efforts in the wake of a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that left hundreds of people dead in the popular tourist destination of Lombok.

The donation was made in Jakarta by Taiwan’s representative to Indonesia Chen Chung (陳忠) to Ginandjar Kartasasmita, acting chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross Society.

Meanwhile, a relief fund raised by Taiwanese businesses based in the Southeast Asian country totaling 930 million Indonesian rupiah (US$63,789) was also made to the Indonesian Red Cross by Lai Wei-hsin (賴維信), chairman of the Taiwan Business Club.    [FULL  STORY]