News of the Week (Dec. 06-12,2007)

News of the Week

(Dec. 06-12,2007)

1.Chuang Guo-rong, chief secretary of the Education Ministry, who was responsible for the dismantling of “Dazhong Zhizheng” plague, has drawn strong criticism from the public for throwing unspeakable epithets at KMT Presidential Candidate and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin. However, Ma merely responded by quoting Master Sheng Yen’s words “The moment others throw venomous rhetoric at me, the moment I practice Buddhist teachings more.”

Vice President Annette Lu also said that Chuang should be criticized for his words.

2.The Ching-mei Human Rights Memorial Park opened on Dec. 10. However, a female student from Losheng Self-Help Association yelled “Save Losheng Sanatorium, Human Rights are Persecuted by the Government” in front of President Chen Shui-bian when he was giving an opening speech. Many members of the Losheng Self-Help Association who yelled “DPP government persecuted human rights” were also arrested by the police for violation of the March and Assembly Act. A person who yelled “Down with A-bian” was also arrested. Taiwan Solidarity Union criticized the government charging that the police’s move to arrest people on World Human Rights Day is a replay of the “white terror.”


3.KMT Presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou said on Dec. 11, “When I met Raymond F. Burghardt, chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, I told him that the KMT is never a trouble-maker.”

Ma also assured Mr. Burghardt by saying, “If elected, during my tenure as President, I will definitely not have any negotiations with the mainland on the issue of unification, nor will I support Taiwan independence. Besides, I oppose any use of non-peaceful means to resolve cross-Strait issues.

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