The China Post
Date: July 5, 2016
By: Christine Chou,Special to The China Post
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Hundreds of demonstrators rallied outside the Legislative
Red Cross volunteers hold a banner reading “Yes to law amendments, no to abolishment” during a protest in front of the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday morning, July 5. （Carol Ho, special to The China Post）
Yuan Tuesday against the proposed abolishment of the Red Cross Society Act, urging that amendments be made instead.
The Red Cross estimated that more than 600 rescuers, lifeguards and administrative volunteers from regional branches nationwide attended the rally. They urged for the debate over the act’s fate to be “depoliticized” and for the end of what they say are smears aimed at discrediting the group’s humanitarian efforts.
“The Red Cross is not a privileged organization, nor is it related to transitional justice,” Chairwoman Wang Ching-feng (王清峰) said.
Critics have long accused the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China of benefiting from historical connections with the former Kuomintang government. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party said last week that it would not rule out “working overtime” to abolish the legislation as part of a broad push for “transitional justice.”
Wang said that if legislators amended outdated regulations in the act in an objective manner, she would have fulfilled her role as chair and would step down. [FULL STORY]
