ANTI-DRUGS CAMPAIGN:Former premier Chang Chun-hsiung discussed criticism from the Philippines’ president and the number of inmates serving drug-related sentences
Taipei Times
Date: Oct 02, 2017
By: Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter
Premier William Lai (賴清德) yesterday vowed to step up anti-narcotics efforts after
Premier William Lai, center, yesterday meets former premier Chang Chun-hsiung, right, at Chang’s residence in Kaohsiung. Photo: CNA
he visited former premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄), who urged him to place great importance on anti-drug efforts.
Lai paid a morning visit to Chang’s Kaohsiung residence and the former premier told him that drugs have increasingly become a pressing problem in Taiwan.
“The Philippines claims that Taiwan is the origin of drugs [entering its territory]. This is a very humiliating situation for Taiwan,” Chang said, referring to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s comments on Wednesday that the Taiwan-based Bamboo Union and Hong Kong-based 14K triad are behind the proliferation of drugs in his nation.
Drug use in Taiwan is also a grave concern, as there are more than 60,000 prisoners serving sentences for drug-related charges, accounting for 45 percent of the total number of inmates, Chang said. [FULL STORY]
