February 2023

Cut Submarine Cables Between Taiwan and Matsu Raise Concerns About Chinese Interference

Brian Hioe
Two submarine cables connecting the Taiwanese mainland and the outlying island of Matsu, which constitutes Lienchiang county, have been reported to have been cut. Specifically, two wires, the No. 2 and No. 3 Taima submarine cables, were reported as having been cut. The No. 2 cable was cut by a Chinese fishing vessel, while No. 3 cable was cut by a Chinese freighter. In particular, the No. 2 Taima cable connects Dongyin Island to Tamsui in New Taipei, while the No. 3 Taima cable connects Nangan Island and Taoyuan...
Cross StraitEnglishFebruary 2023International5 min read

Lisbeth Wu Case Sent Back to Taipei High Administrative Court

Yo-Ling Chen
This past Friday, the Constitutional Court of the Judicial Yuan decided not to move forward with a constitutional interpretation for Lisbeth Wu’s case regarding regulations requiring proof of surgery to change one’s legal gender. The specific regulation under scrutiny is Ministry of Interior executive order #0970066240, which requires people assigned male at birth to surgically remove their penis and testis and people assigned female at birth to remove their breasts, uterus, and ovaries in order to change their legal gender. Over the past few days, people following Taiwan’s trans rights movement have attempted to make sense of the Constitutional Court’s decision to send Wu’s case back to the Taipei High Administrative Court...
EnglishFebruary 2023Gender/SexualitySocial Movements6 min read

Hsia Trip Results in Reaffirmation of 1992 Consensus

Brian Hioe
KMT vice chair Andrew Hsia once again traveled to China last week in order to meet with Chinese government officials. This included not only newly appointed Taiwan Affairs Office head Song Tao, who took office in December, but also CCP chief ideologist Wang Huning. Hsia has indicated in comments that the main portion of his trip is over, however, he will continue to travel around China to meet with Chinese businessmen in China...
Cross StraitEnglishFebruary 2023International6 min read

Civil Society Groups Hold Press Conference to Draw Attention to Labor Abuses by Taiwanese Company in Myanmar

Brian Hioe
Civil society groups held a press conference in the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday to call attention to labor abuses at Pou Chen, a Taiwanese company that operates a shoe factory in Myanmar. In particular, Pou Chen fired 29 workers late last year and called in state security forces from the military junta afterward to quell a strike. Pou Chen is a supplier for Adidas...
EnglishFebruary 2023LaborSocial Movements5 min read

Largest National Security Trial to Date Starts in Hong Kong

Brian Hioe
The largest national security trial to date in Hong Kong started on Monday, with 47 defendants standing trial over charges of “conspiracy to commit subversion", with the act of subversion being directed at the state. The trial is over the defendants’ participation in or involvement in organizing primaries for pro-democracy candidates in Hong Kong LegCo elections...
EnglishFebruary 2023Self-DeterminationSocial MovementsYouth Movements5 min read