DPP

140,000 March For 2018 Taiwan Pride, But Challenges Still Remain For Efforts To Realize Marriage Equality

Brian Hioe
The 16th annual pride parade took place today in Taipei, drawing an claimed 140,000 participants, which would be a new record. This year’s pride parade would be a politically charged event, seeing as a referendum on gay marriage is set to take place next month during elections on November 24th, and this question loomed over the event...
EnglishGender/SexualityOctober 2018Social Movements9 min read

Proposed Changes To Religious Basic Act Would Put Religious Groups Above The Law

Brian Hioe
Outrage has ensued from members of Taiwanese civil society after proposed changes to the Religious Basic Law which would effectively remove religious groups from government oversight. Namely, while members of Taiwanese are among the first defend religious liberties and frequently react against what is perceived as the government overstepping its bounds, concerns are that such changes would effectively make religious groups above the law...
EnglishOctober 2018Politics5 min read

Appeals By Taiwan To “Indo-Pacific” Framework

Brian Hioe
As raised in a recent The Diplomat article, statements by Taiwanese political leaders gesture towards an attempt to situate Taiwan within the framework of the “Indo-Pacific”. The “Indo-Pacific” would be the Trump administration’s preferred terminology to refer to how it strategically envisions America’s role in the geopolitical terrain of what is more commonly referred to as the “Asia Pacific,” or what was referred to as “Trans-Pacific” in the now-defunct Trans-Pacific Partnership...
America and the Asia PacificEnglishInternationalOctober 20186 min read

Politicization Of Comfort Women Issue Prevents Justice For Being Realized For Survivors

Brian Hioe
Unfortunately, it continues to be unlikely that Taiwanese comfort women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese empire will see justice in their lifetimes given the politicization of the issue by both pan-Blue and pan-Green political actors, and the reluctance of the current Japanese government to make any genuine apology for its actions during World War II...
August 2018EnglishInternationalRegional Tensions8 min read