Tsai Ing-Wen

Visit by Paraguayan President-Elect Should Remind of Taiwan’s Ties to Oppressive Governments

Brian Hioe
A recent visit to Taiwan by Paraguayan president-elect Salvador Peña should serve as a reminder of Taiwan’s ties with regimes with questionable human rights records. Namely, even as Peña is feted as an ally of Taiwan, the Colorado Party that he served as the candidate of has ruled over Paraguay in an autocratic fashion for 75 years–if anything, the Colorado Party reminds of the KMT during its many decades of authoritarian rule in Taiwan...
EnglishJuly 2023Politics5 min read

DPP Emphasizes Continuity for 2024 Elections at Party Congress on Sunday

Brian Hioe
The DPP held its party congress on Sunday at the Grand Hotel. This took place on the same day as the rally organized by former NPP chair Huang Kuo-chang and streamer Holger Chen on Ketagalan Boulevard. As no representative of the DPP was present at the rally, which all pan-Blue presidential candidates attended, this led to DPP party members being derided by Huang as off enjoying air conditioning while attendees at the rally toiled in the heat. Though the rally framed itself as non-partisan, given that all pan-Blue presidential candidates were present, the rally is largely read as pan-Blue...
EnglishJuly 2023Politics6 min read

Referendum Proposal to Speed Up Executions Reflects Continued Social Fixation on Capital Punishment

Brian Hioe
The Central Election Commission stated in April that a referendum proposal by the Taiwan Lily Justice Association (TLJA) was unlikely to qualify to be put to the vote this year, as part of the national referendum process. The referendum proposal would be to expedite the time that executions take place, in requiring that executions take place within six months of sentencing...
EnglishJune 2023Politics5 min read

Recent Events Highlight Taiwan’s Ties with Latin American Countries with Questionable Human Rights Records

Brian Hioe
Taiwan's ties with Latin American countries with questionable human rights records has been highlighted by a number of recent events. First, Taiwan recently saw a state visit from Guatemalan president Alejandro Giammattei in late April. Giammattei traveled to Taiwan from April 24th to April 27th, attending a state banquet held in his honor by Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen. Likewise, earlier this month, in Paraguay Santiago Peña of the Colorado Party won election earlier this month. This put an end to speculation that Paraguay would break ties with Taiwan after the election...
EnglishMay 2023Politics6 min read

Thousands Demonstrate on Ketagalan Boulevard for International Workers’ Day

Brian Hioe
Organized labor groups rallied on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building today for International Workers’ Day, also known as May Day in other parts of the world. Though the rally was not as large as in past years, prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the gradual accommodation to COVID-19 in Taiwanese society is what has allowed for International Workers’ Day demonstrations to again take place. Last year, for example, only saw a few hundred workers participate in International Workers’ Day commemorations that were significantly scaled down...
EnglishLaborMay 2022Social Movements6 min read