A STRETCH OR KICK? A ministry spokesman said Taiwan respects everyone’s right to express their opinions, but they should do so ‘in a peaceful and rational manner’
Taipei Times
Date: Sep 12, 2018
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
The actions of a Japanese man who allegedly kicked a statue in Tainan honoring
Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh yesterday speaks at a news conference in Tokyo. Photo: CNA
“comfort women” only reflected his own uncivilized behavior and hopefully would not affect Taiwan-Japan relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.
“The ministry denounces any provocative, violent and uncivilized behavior, whether it is conducted by a Taiwanese or a foreigner… Such actions are not conducive to resolving the comfort women issue,” spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) told a news conference in Taipei.
As far as he knew, Mitsuhiko Fujii, who was seen in video footage released by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Tainan City Councilor Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) on Sunday with his raised left leg touching the statue, has already left Taiwan, Lee said.
Fujii reportedly visited Taiwan as a representative of 16 Japanese right-wing groups.
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