English

Filipino Accusations of Taiwanese Drug Trafficking Complicate Diplomatic Relations

Garrett Dee
Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte made diplomatic waves last month during a speech at a police academy in the Philippines by claiming that Taiwan was a major source of drugs entering the Philippines, listing Taiwan as a primary origin of the drug trade in comparison to China and other neighboring countries. This action provoked a strong reaction from the Taiwanese government, who rebutted the claims and reaffirmed their strong partnership with the Philippines in combatting cross-border crime and drug trafficking...
EnglishInternationalOctober 2017Regional Tensions6 min read

The Rise And Fall Of Ko Wen-Je?

Brian Hioe
It may be that Ko Wen-Je will be, going forward, increasingly be seen as a turncoat by the pan-Green camp following the controversy over Ko’s defense of the Sing! China event which took place in Taipei, as well as recent claims by Ko that imprisoned former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-Bian faked his illness in order to secure release on medical parole...
EnglishOctober 2017Politics7 min read

Similarities And Differences Between Catalonia And Taiwan

Ferran Pérez Mena
During past few years, the conflict between China and Taiwan has resonated more frequently than one would think in Catalan media, which has historically been ignorant of anything that occurs in Asia—except with regards to some news items about China. It is important to note that the attention given by Catalan media to this conflict is in part because of the more or less accurate perception that recent political developments related to the disputed international status of Taiwan are similar to what Catalonia has experienced in the past decade. The aim of this article is therefore to analyze the similarities and differences between the political projects of "independence" in Taiwan and Catalonia...
EnglishOctober 2017Self-DeterminationSocial Movements11 min read

Protests Mark Chinese National Day In Hong Kong On October 1st

Brian Hioe
Protests marked Chinese National Day in Hong Kong on October 1st earlier this week, with 40,000 taking to the streets in order to demonstrate the worsening condition for human rights and the deterioration of democratic freedoms in Hong Kong. Protests saw some clashes with police and pro-China groups, including the arrest of youth activists from Demosisto after being attacked by pro-China demonstrators. What comes next for Hong Kong, however, remains to be seen...
#19EnglishOctober 2017Self-DeterminationSocial Movements5 min read

Accusations Of Nepotism Against DPP Second-Generation Politicians

Brian Hioe
A wave of mockery from Internet netizens has broken out against second-generation politicians that are the children of established politicians, with plans by children of both pan-Green and pan-Blue politicians to run for office. In particular, however, the DPP has been singled out for criticism with the view that this is a sign of how the DPP is no different from the KMT in terms of how it conducts politics...
EnglishOctober 2017Politics6 min read

Lessons For Taiwan From The Catalan And Kurdish Referendums?

Brian Hioe
In past days, youth activist and civil society groups in Taiwan have expressed support of Catalonia following the Spanish government’s use of brutal force to put down the Catalan independence referendum. This is not too surprising, seeing as youth activist groups in Taiwan see a sense of shared cause between the Catalan people’s struggle for self-determination and Taiwan’s own struggle for independence. Yet the outcome of not only the Catalan referendum, but also the recent Kurdish referendum in Iraq, offers lessons for Taiwan regarding its own aspirations towards using referendum to settle longstanding questions regarding Taiwanese independence...
EnglishOctober 2017Self-DeterminationSocial Movements16 min read

Questions For Taipei City Officials Regarding Sing! China Attacks Remain Unresolved

Brian Hioe
Questions about attacks last week on students and pro-independence demonstrators at the Sing! China event last week remain unresolved, with collusion between Taipei city officials, pro-China gangsters, and the Chinese government itself now alleged at high levels. Many questions remain to be answered not only by Ko Wen-Je’s political administration and the Taipei city police, but also as to why the Mainland Affairs Council would allow the event to take place...
EnglishOctober 2017Politics6 min read

Amos Yee’s Release Raises Question Of Continued Singaporean Authoritarianism

Brian Hioe
The release of Amos Yee and the acceptance of his bid for asylum in the United States should be celebrated, seeing as this means that the eighteen year old political dissident has escaped political persecution in his native Singapore. Nevertheless, what should be lamented is that Yee spent nine and a half months in American prisons while his application for asylum was being processed. And it should be questioned as to what comes next for Singapore now that its most famous political dissident has successfully gained asylum after escaping from Singapore...
EnglishPoliticsSeptember 20175 min read

Rolls-Royce Purchases Prompts Mockery, Criticism Of Rulaizong Spiritual Leader

Brian Hioe
Taiwan's many Buddhist, Daoist, and New Age religious cults are in the news once again, with a recent wave of mockery by Taiwanese netizens directed at Miaochan, the spiritual leader of the Rulaizong Buddhist organization, which claims to practice Zen Buddhism. This follows on the heels of news that Rulaizong purchased two Rolls-Royces for Miaochan, adding to past accusations of internal corruption within the organization...
EnglishPoliticsSeptember 20176 min read