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ELECTIONS: KMT accused of illegal mobilization of public servants

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 15, 2016
By Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday accused Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫), who is also New Taipei City mayor, of illegally mobilizing New Taipei City government employees to take part in a KMT campaign parade.

Holding up copies of a mobilization document at a media conference at DPP headquarters in Taipei, party spokesperson Wang Min-sheng (王閔生) said that the KMT document assigned the job of coordination not only to KMT staff members, but also district office employees to attend a campaign parade in New Taipei City’s Yingge District (鶯歌).

The document said that crowds need to be placed along the parade route, waving flags to show Chu is well supported.     [FULL  STORY]

Tsai to sweep through west Taiwan in last 48 hours

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-13
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

With Taiwan’s general election entering its last 48 hours on Thursday (Jan.

Last 48 hrs Tsai to sweep through west Taiwan.

Last 48 hrs Tsai to sweep through west Taiwan.

14), the opposition Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s motorcade will sweep from the southern port city of Kaohsiung to Taipei via western Taiwan, covering a total of 10 counties and cities, DPP spokesperson Ruan Jhao-syong said Wednesday.

Ruan announced the street sweeping plan in a press conference Wednesday, saying the DPP will mobilize all party members in the last 48 hours to win the elections.

In the last sprint of the race, Tsai will start from Kaohsiung on Thursday, stopover in South District, Tainan City; Dalin Township, Chiayi County; Changhua City; West District and Nantun District, Taichung City; and then rally at Hsinchu County and Taoyuan City on the same night, Ruan said.

In the last 24 hours before the elections, the motorcade will start from Fengyuan District, Taichung City, stopover in Miaoli County, Hsinchu City, Zhongli and Pingzhen Districts, Taoyuan City; and Sanchong District, New Taipei City before making its way to Zhong Xiao East Road in Taipei City, Ruan said.     [FULL  STORY]

SID denies receiving audio evidence of Tsai accepting illicit funds

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/13
By: Liu Shih-yi, Yeh Su-ping and Frances Huang

Taipei, Jan. 13 (CNA) Taiwan investigators said Wednesday that they had

Lin Hsiu-chuan (right) and Chiu Yi (front, left)

Lin Hsiu-chuan (right) and Chiu Yi (front, left)

not received any audio evidence from a woman who accused Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of accepting a large political donation from a wanted fugitive.

Lin Hsiu-chuan (林秀娟), who made the allegation, said she had given an audio disc to the Special Investigation Division (SID) of the Supreme Prosecutors Office during an investigation in November.

The disc provided evidence that Tsai had accepted a donation of NT$450 million (US$13.39 million) from Huang Fang-yen (黃芳彥), former deputy superintendent of Shin Kong Memorial Wu Ho-Su Hospital, Lin said.

In response, Lin said Wednesday that the SID’s comment was regrettable and that she had been “set up” by the SID.     [FULL  STORY]

MOC announces 2016 TIBE Book Prize recipients

Taiwan Today
Date: January 13, 2016

The winners of this year’s Taipei International Book Exhibition Book Prize

Winners of the 2016 TIBE Book Prize display their awarded works at a MOC news conference Jan. 12 in Taipei City. (Liberty Times)

Winners of the 2016 TIBE Book Prize display their awarded works at a MOC news conference Jan. 12 in Taipei City. (Liberty Times)

were announced Jan. 12 by the ROC Ministry of Culture, highlighting the increasingly diverse nature of the local publishing sector.

Novelists Gan Yao-ming, Liu Da-ren and Wang Ting-kuo won for fiction, with film critic Dennis Chan, magazine magnate Chan Hung-chih, as well as interior designer Hsin Yong-sheng and information and communication technology engineer Yang Chao-ching for nonfiction.

MOC Deputy Minister Tsai Ping-kun said the various themes of awarded pieces represent the rich and vibrant cultural landscape in Taiwan. “The government will continue supporting such outstanding talents and promoting writing with local identity.”

According to Tsai, Gan’s work offers a look at the nation’s logging history in Hualien County during the 1970s through the eyes of an indigenous Amis girl. “It employs fantasy and tribal myths to clearly explain the complex local flora and technically harrowing world of timber harvesting equipment,” he said.     [FULL  STORY]

ELECTIONS: NPP pushes back against DPP

IN ITS OWN RIGHT:Huang Kuo-chang said the two parties had nominated outstanding at-large legislative candidates, so voters should cast their ballots based on policy issues

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 14, 2016
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter

The New Power Party (NPP) yesterday pushed back against Democratic

New Power Party (NPP) Chairman and legislative candidate Huang Kuo-chang, second right, and the party’s six legislator-at-large candidates yesterday pose at a news conference in Taipei to ask voters to give the NPP their party vote on Saturday. The party’s ballot number is 11. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times

New Power Party (NPP) Chairman and legislative candidate Huang Kuo-chang, second right, and the party’s six legislator-at-large candidates yesterday pose at a news conference in Taipei to ask voters to give the NPP their party vote on Saturday. The party’s ballot number is 11. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times

Progressive Party (DPP) calls for “pan-green camp” voters to “concentrate” their votes in Saturday’s legislative elections, although it refrained from directly criticizing the DPP.

“When we say that we want a ‘new politics,’ we do not want to get bogged down in the manipulative methods of old politics, so we absolutely will not criticize parties whose ideas are similar to ours nor will we issue a call for voters to ‘allocate ballots,” Acting NPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said.

Ballot allocation refers to voters coordinating to strategically divide their ballots among ideologically similar parties or candidates, the way the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) called on pan-green households to “allocate” at least one ballot to the TSU during the 2012 elections.

The DPP over the past week has repeatedly called on voters to “concentrate” their at-large ballots on itself, saying that support for small “third force” parties threatens to undermine the “safe” seats on its at-large legislative slate.     [FULL  STORY]

Director Ang Lee to announce Oscar nominations

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-12
By: Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Oscar-winning Taiwanese director Ang Lee will be among those to

Director Ang Lee to announce Oscar nominations.

Director Ang Lee to announce Oscar nominations.

announce the nominees for the 2016 Oscar awards on Jan. 14.

Lee will join Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Mexican director Guillermo del Toro and American actor John Krasinski in making the announcement, the Academy said in a statement on Monday.

Lee and del Toro will unveil the nominees for 11 of the 24 Oscar categories, including Live Action Short Film, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

“Contrapelo (Against the Grain),” produced by Taiwan’s Liu Pin-chun, and “The Free Man,” directed by Taiwan-based Malaysian filmmaker Quah Boon-Lip, were among the 10 live action short films being considered for final nominations in the category.     [FULL  STORY]

Bird flu virus detected in Taipei pigeon

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/12
By: Yang Shu-min and Y.F. Low

Taipei, Jan. 12 (CNA) The Council of Agriculture (COA) confirmed CNA file photo

CNA file photo

CNA file photo

Tuesday that a pigeon was found to be infected with the new H5 subtype of the avian influenza virus, the first time that the highly pathogenic subtype had been detected in the bird species in Taiwan.

A pigeon found dead on the roof of the home of a resident in Taipei’s Wenshan district tested positive for the H5 subtype on Jan. 11, according to the COA’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine.

The case followed another one in Taichung’s Situn District, where two dead sparrows picked up by a local resident tested positive Jan. 8 for the H5 subtype.     [FULL  STORY]

Chiayi cultural and creative park set for renovation

Taiwan Today
Date: January 12, 2016

A three-year major renovation of Chiayi Cultural and Creative Industries

Chiayi Cultural and Creative Industries Park is undergoing a three-year renewal project as part of MOC efforts to build national hub for the innovation of traditional arts in southern Taiwan. (Courtesy of Hsinchia Cultural and Creative Corp.)

Chiayi Cultural and Creative Industries Park is undergoing a three-year renewal project as part of MOC efforts to build national hub for the innovation of traditional arts in southern Taiwan. (Courtesy of Hsinchia Cultural and Creative Corp.)

Park was launched Jan. 11 in southern Taiwan by the ROC Ministry of Culture.

The NT$120 million (US$3.6 million) undertaking involves refurbishing 30 percent of the total 17,943-square-meter floor space by the end of this year, 30 percent by year-end 2017 and the rest by the start of 2019. It is in addition to NT$500 million spent on upgrading the facility since 2008.

Situated by Chiayi Train Station, the 3.9-hectare park comprises 21 buildings and was set up in 2003. It is the site of the former Chiayi Brewery, which operated from 1916 to 1999 until relocation.

MOC Deputy Minister Tsai Ping-kun said the project breathes new life into the largest of the five cultural and creative parks overseen by the ministry, adding that it also helps establish a national hub for the innovation of traditional arts.     [FULL  STORY]

ELECTIONS: Tsai repeats call for her followers not to split votes

Taipei Times
Date:  Jan 13, 2016
By: Chen Wei-han  /  Staff reporter, in NANTOU

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen, on van second right, campaigns in Changhua County yesterday, endorsing DPP legislative candidate for Changhua County Hung Tsung-yi, on van, left. Photo: CNA

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen, on van second right, campaigns in Changhua County yesterday, endorsing DPP legislative candidate for Changhua County Hung Tsung-yi, on van, left. Photo: CNA

Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday canvassed the streets of Nantou, Changhua and Taichung to solicit support in difficult constituencies, calling on voters to concentrate all their votes for the party and its candidates.

On the first leg of her campaign tour yesterday in Nantou’s Jhong Sing New Village (中興新村) to stump for DPP legislative candidates Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) and Chang Kuo-hsin (張國鑫), Tsai Ing-wen was greeted by a crowd of overseas Taiwanese and business leaders, who held placards showing where they came from and expressed support for Tsai Ing-wen and the DPP’s candidates.

“Nantou is Taiwan’s heartland, and the local constituencies are a decisive battlefield and a key election indicator. It bodes well for the election if Nantou shows good results,” Tsai Ing-wen said.

Dubbing a contingent of overseas supporters the “the Ing overseas clique,” she urged overseas Taiwanese to return to vote in the presidential and legislative elections on Saturday to be part of the nation’s progress.      [FULL  STORY]

Pingtung tribal community spotlights aboriginal culture

Taiwan News
Source: United Daily News
Date: January 11, 2016

A tribal community in Pingtung County is rising in prominence as a window of

Artworks such as “Meal Time,” a metal installation piece made from spoons of various shapes and sizes, showcase the ingenuity of Taiwan’s indigenous artists in Rinari community of Pingtung County. (UDN)

Artworks such as “Meal Time,” a metal installation piece made from spoons of various shapes and sizes, showcase the ingenuity of Taiwan’s indigenous artists in Rinari community of Pingtung County. (UDN)

artwork and culture for the indigenous Paiwan and Rukai peoples of southern Taiwan.

Situated near Beidawu Mountain in the Central Mountain Range, Rinari was established in December 2010 to accommodate displaced victims of 2009’s Typhoon Morakot. It comprises 483 households originally from Pingtung’s Dashe Village in Sandimen Township, Haocha Village in Wutai Township and Majia Village in Majia Township.

The community, described by ROC President Ma Ying-jeou as the “Provence of Taiwan,” is fast becoming a photographer’s paradise on the strength of its assortment of eye-catching buildings and facilities. It is also famed for popular displays of creations by resident artists forming the backbone of a craft festival organized by the county government since 2014.

Among these is “Fragrant Breeze on the Hill” by Paiwan Etan Pavavalung. The massive metal and wood mural in bright orange on the wall of a building draws attention to the need for environmental conservation.     [FULL  STORY]