Cannabis Decriminalization Advocates Hold Annual 420 Rally Outside of Legislature

Brian Hioe

Four Decades of Strife and Resistance: A Deep Dive Into What’s Happening in West Papua

Girard Mariano Lopez

Interview: Kawtorpai Church

Patrick Huang

Electricity Price Hikes Likely to Lead to Political Contestation

Brian Hioe

Civil Society Groups Mark Anniversary of Fukushima Disaster Earlier This Month

Brian Hioe

Freeway and High-Speed Rail Proposal by the KMT Stokes Controversy

Brian Hioe

Social Movements

What Now for Taiwanese Independence Efforts After the Failure of the Olympics Referendum?

Brian Hioe
The proposal for Taiwan to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics under the name “Taiwan”, instead of “Chinese Taipei”, was among those defeated during the referendum held simultaneously with 2018 local elections. This will have important ramifications going forward for efforts to realize Taiwanese independence...
#22EnglishNovember 2018Self-DeterminationSocial Movements6 min read

Progressive Taiwanese Civil Society Sees Defeat By Way Of National Referendum

Brian Hioe
The results of referendum voting will no doubt come as a great shock to progressive Taiwanese civil society with, quite literally, all of the referendum proposals they championed being voted down. On the other hand, all of the referendums they opposed passed. However, not all of these achieved the necessary 25% of voter participation needed to be legally binding...
#22EnglishNovember 2018Social MovementsYouth Movements10 min read

What Will Happen If Progressive Taiwanese Civil Society Is Defeated Through The Referendum?

Brian Hioe
Referendum reform has historically been pushed for by progressive civil society groups in Taiwan, as a means to resolve longstanding issues blocked by the KMT and other conservative forces. Progressive civil society groups were finally victorious in amending the Referendum Act last year, lowering the benchmarks needed to hold a referendum in Taiwan. But what if the results of referendum voting tomorrow indicate that, ironically enough, conservatives have managed to hijack the referendum and to use it against progressive civil society?...
#22EnglishNovember 2018Social MovementsTheory and History11 min read

Concerns That 2020 Olympics Name Referendum Could Lead To Taiwan Olympics Ban On The Rise

Brian Hioe
The most popular of the slate of referendums which are to be voted on this Saturday, the referendum on what name Taiwan will participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics under, has come under increased scrutiny in the past week. Namely, the International Olympics Committee has warned that Taiwan could be banned from participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics if the referendum is successful...
#22EnglishNovember 2018Self-DeterminationSocial Movements5 min read

Televised Debate On Nuclear Power Points To KMT Push Behind Referendum

Brian Hioe
The third televised debate on nuclear energy took place on November 12th, with Huang Shih-hsiu (黃士修), the initiator of the referendum on whether Taiwan should remove legal provisions for Taiwan to be nuclear-free by 2025, faced off against Hung Shen-han of the Green Citizen Action Alliance. The debate quite directly reveals how the KMT has been a major force in pushing for the referendum...
#22EnglishEnvironmentalNovember 2018Social Movements9 min read

Televised Gay Marriage Debate Suggests What Endgame Of Anti-Gay Groups Is

Brian Hioe
What emerges from a televised debate held on November 15th between New Power Party (NPP) chair Huang Kuo-chang and Tseng Pin-chieh, a professor at the College of Law at National Chung Cheng University, should be highly concerning to supporters of marriage equality in Taiwan. Namely, Tseng’s comments in the debate are highly indicative of what the aims of anti-gay groups in Taiwan are in their referendum against marriage equality, what their current strategy is, and what their endgame likely is...
#22EnglishGender/SexualityNovember 2018Social Movements12 min read

Tens Of Thousands Demonstrate In Support Of Gay Marriage In Taipei

Brian Hioe
A reported 100,000 people attended a rally on Ketagalan Boulevard in support of LGBTQ rights today, with a nationwide referendum on marriage equality and LGBTQ-friendly education scheduled to take place next Saturday. Featuring musical performances and speeches and closing with a performance by heavy metal band Chthonic, fronted by New Power Party legislator Freddy Lim, that the rally would be so large was a surprise to most...
#22EnglishGender/SexualityNovember 2018Social Movements7 min read