Self-Determination

Is China Seeking to Influence Cultural Preservation Efforts in Taiwan?

Brian Hioe
The Am Kehnn Cultural Workshop, an organization dedicated to cultural preservation efforts, stated on Facebook earlier this month that Beijing had sought to use United Front tactics to influence historical preservation efforts in Taiwan. This would be through funding projects to create public spaces in Taiwan, with the aim of influencing the end product...
August 2023EnglishPoliticsSelf-DeterminationSocial MovementsYouth Movements5 min read

As Democracy Further Deteriorates in Hong Kong, Taiwan Proposes Increasing Barriers to Hong Kong Permanent Residency

Brian Hioe
The deterioration of what is left of electoral democracy continues in Hong Kong, with plans by the Hong Kong government to decrease the number of directly elected district councilor seats from over 90% to around 20%. Despite this, the Mainland Affairs Council may move forward with plans to increase the barriers for Hongkongers seeking to obtain permanent residency in Taiwan...
EnglishMay 2023Self-DeterminationSocial MovementsYouth Movements5 min read

Visa Denials for Pro-Democracy District Councilors May Reflect Hardening Views of Hongkongers in Taiwan

Brian Hioe
A report by Hong Kong’s Ming Pao last week stated that at least two current pro-democracy Hong Kong district councilors and several former Hong Kong district councilors have not heard any answer from the Taiwanese government when applying for visas to visit Taiwan, or had their applications rejected. This occurred despite that these district councilors were not intending to flee to Taiwan for asylum, were only hoping to travel with friends and family to Taiwan to vacation, see friends, and sightseeing, and some had successfully entered Taiwan as recently as 2021...
April 2023EnglishSelf-DeterminationSocial MovementsYouth Movements6 min read

March Held in Taipei to Remember 64th Anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day

Brian Hioe
Civil society groups held a march today in Taipei to commemorate the 64th anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day. Tibetan Uprising Day marks the uprising that took place on March 10th, 1959 against the PRC presence in Tibet, and is commemorated on March 10th each year. Today’s march was part of a series of activities to commemorate Tibetan Uprising Day, including cycling around Taipei in the prior month with Tibetan flags, and a vigil that will be held at Liberty Plaza on Friday...
EnglishMarch 2023Self-DeterminationSocial Movements6 min read

228 Anniversary Reminds of Continued Struggle for Transitional Justice in Taiwan

Brian Hioe
On the 76th anniversary of the 228 Massacre, commemorations were held to memorialize the event, traditionally viewed as the start of the decades-long White Terror that followed. This includes many events held annually, such as the Gongsheng Music Festival–the indie rock festival held on Ketagalan Boulevard organized by civil society groups–as well as commemorations by the government. Nevertheless, the anniversary of the 228 Massacre should point to how the pan-Blue camp in Taiwan has generally sought to avoid reckoning with its authoritarian past...
EnglishFebruary 2023Self-DeterminationSocial MovementsYouth Movements7 min read