- Country
- Taiwan
- Initial Date
- Sep 1, 2016
- Event Description
TAIPEI - Taiwan has convicted five students who stormed the education ministry last year to protest a school curriculum seen as skewed towards Beijing. The students were among a group of demonstrators angry over controversial curriculum changes which they said favoured China's view of the island's history. The new curriculum -- introduced by the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang government which was then in power -- sparked a string of protests and the suicide of a student activist, reflecting growing concerns over increased Chinese influence on Taiwan particularly among the young. Taiwan is self-ruling since splitting from the mainland in 1949 after a civil war -- but it has never formally declared independence and China still sees it as part of its territory. Five students were indicted on obstruction of justice and coercion charges after they allegedly scuffled with security guards. Four were given suspended sentences Thursday, in addition to 120 hours of community service. The 30-40 day sentences were suspended for two years. The fifth student was also found guilty but received no sentence as he was less involved and had shown remorse, the court added. One student said he would appeal. "I didn't push the security guards," student Tsai Ming-ying told reporters, saying he would contest the "unacceptable" ruling. A court statement said the students were given the suspended sentences due to their youth. "They did not think things through enough," it said, adding that the victims were willing to forgive them. Taiwan's new Beijing-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government repealed the curriculum changes less than two weeks after it took office in May. It also dropped a lawsuit against activists of the "Sunflower Movement", who stormed the cabinet headquarters to protest a China trade pact in 2014. The education ministry dropped trespassing charges against the five convicted students as well as other protesters but legally had to proceed with the more serious obstruction of justice and coercion charges. Ties with China have rapidly cooled since the DPP's Tsai Ing-wen won the presidency in January as Beijing deeply mistrusts her traditionally pro-independence party.
- Impact of Event
- 5
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Student, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Taiwan
- Initial Date
- Feb 12, 2016
- Event Description
Taiwanese authorities have prevented the executive chairman of an international Uyghur organization from participating in a human rights conference to be held in Taiwan later this month, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) said Friday. Dolkun Isa, WUC's executive chairman, will not be able to attend the Asia Pacific Religious Freedom Forum on Feb. 18-21 because of likely pressure from Chinese authorities, the Munich, Germany-based organization of exiled Uyghur groups said in a statement. "It is a true shame that a democratic country such as Taiwan should be so influenced by the will of the Chinese government," the statement said. "China has consistently maintained that human rights defenders-and those supporting the Uyghur community in particular-should be treated like criminals." The conference, which is by invitation only, will be a meeting of religious freedom advocates, including lawmakers, government representatives, nongovernmental organization officials, and religious leaders who are committed to advancing religion freedom in the Asia Pacific region. Isa, who received an invitation from conference organizers three or four months ago, told RFA's Uyghur Service that Taiwanese authorities informed him that they would not allow him to enter the self-governing island over which China claims sovereignty. "No matter what, Taiwan is a democratic country," Isa said. "Their blocking me from entering will stain Taiwanese democracy." "I do believe that there is a Chinese hand in it," he said. "I am sure that this blockage will be lifted after the Democratic Progressive Party takes charge in Taiwan again." Opposition leader Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of Taiwan's independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), won a landslide victory in presidential elections on the island in January. The DPP will officially assume power as Taiwan's ruling party on May 20, controlling both the presidency and parliament. A security threat When Isa visited Taiwan 10 years ago to take part in an event held by the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for the protection and promotion of the human and cultural rights of indigenous people and minorities, he said he encountered no obstacles. The DPP was in power at the time. The Uyghurs are a mostly Muslim, Turkic-speaking minority group that lives in northwestern China's Xinjiang region where it has complained about pervasive ethnic discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression by Beijing. But in 2009, after the nationalist Kuomintang Party regained control of the government, false reports circulated that Isa had entered Taiwan with 11 other Uyghurs ahead of the World Games, which took place in Kaohsiung in July that year, and would pose a security threat, the WUC's statement said. In response, Taiwan's National Immigration Authority has issued a ban on Isa's travel to the country, it said. "I was told that they[Taiwanese lawmakers] debated in parliament about my possible entry and whether or not to forbid me[from entering]," Isa said. Now the problem has resurfaced again, he said. "Even though the Democratic Progressive Party has won the elections, the Kuomintang party is still in charge, so I have not been allowed to enter Taiwan, and that is very unfortunate and regrettable," he said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Reprisal as Result of Communication, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Freedom of Religion and Belief, Minority Rights
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Minority rights defender
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
- Country
- Taiwan
- Initial Date
- Feb 10, 2015
- Event Description
Taiwanese prosecutors have filed charges against those who participated in a student-led protest movement that occupied Taiwan's legislature for weeks last year. State media say 118 people were charged Tuesday 10th February with crimes including trespassing, obstruction of official business, and instigating others to commit a crime. Among those charged were student leaders Lin Fei-Fan and Chen Wei-ting, as well as researcher and university professor Huang Kuo-chang. The protesters last March stormed the legislature and held a 23-day sit-in there to demand the government scrap a trade deal with China. The demonstrators eventually pulled back after the government promised to review the bill and provide greater transparency on its deals with Beijing. The pact, under which Chinese and Taiwanese service companies would increase investments in each other's territory, remains stalled in Taiwan's legislature. The protests, which became known as the Sunflower Movement, reflect growing concerns over China's expanding influence in Taiwan. Taiwan split from China following a civil war in 1949. Beijing still regards it as a breakaway province that will someday be reunified with the mainland. Economic ties have improved in recent years, especially after the somewhat Beijing-friendly Ma Ying-jeou was elected president in 2008 and re-elected in 2012. Political relations have also grown warmer following historic high-level talks last year between Chinese and Taiwanese leaders.
- Impact of Event
- 118
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of association
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Date added
- Sep 20, 2019
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