POLITICS AND FLYING:President Tsai Ing-wen said aviation safety is a basic human right and that politics should have no influence over people’s expectations of safety
Taipei Times
Date: Sep 24, 2016
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter
Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) yesterday said that the ministry has not received an
Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee, right, and Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai attend a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA
invitation to this year’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) assembly in Canada, adding that the government regrets and is disappointed with the outcome, while it believes the apparent decision to not invite Taiwan is a mistake.
“It is extremely unfair to Taiwan and a great loss to international flight safety,” Lee told a news conference in Taipei after confirming at the Legislative Yuan in the morning that the ministry had not yet received an invitation.
Lee on Thursday said that the ministry would know by yesterday whether it would receive an invitation.
Separately yesterday, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that flight safety is a basic human right and should not be compromised with any “premise” or “affected and deprived due to the intervention of political factors,” regardless of political affiliation.
“Since [the first direct presidential election in] 1996, Taiwanese have shown the world our resolve for democracy and freedom. The road chosen by Taiwanese is a demonstration of collective will. If we all agree that democracy is a universal value, then there should not be anyone suffering unfair treatment because they chose democracy; there should not be anyone deprived of their rights just because they do not accept some undemocratic framework and confinement,” the president said. [FULL STORY]
