Taipei, Sept. 18 (CNA) The pro-independence Taiwan Society demanded Monday that cable television network CTiTV provide fairer and more objective news report and set a "10-day deadline" for improvement.
"If CTiTV fails to present fair and objective news reporting within an observation period of 10 days, the Taiwan Society will refuse any invitation to be interviewed thereafter, " said Taiwan Society Secretary-General Chet Yang one day after CtiTV claimed that one of its reporters was attacked at a rally organized by the Taiwan Society.
Three television networks, including CTiTV, claimed their reporters were attacked by crowds in a pro-president Chen Shui-bian rally last Saturday.
A review conducted from Sept. 14- 16, which was released by media watch group Broadcasting Development Fund (BDF) , shows that CTiTV news coverage was greatly slanted in favor of the anti-president protest, said BDF CEO Connie Lin.
In a written statement, Yang apologized to the network for violent acts by rally participants but also condemned "violence of the media, " saying that the media should not make up news, quote anonymous sources and apply double standards in news reporting.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS CROSS-BORDER MARRIAGES
Taipei, Sept. 18 (CNA) A two-day international conference will be held Sept. 19-20 to discuss the rapid increase and impact of cross-border marriages in Asia and Europe.
The Conference on Intermediated Cross-Border Marriages in Asia and Europe, which is being organized by the National Science Council (NSC) , the Institute of Sociology of Academia Sinica and the Netherlands-based International Institute of Asian Studies has invited 13 foreign academics for discussions with their local counterparts.
"In Taiwan, cross-border marriages accounted for 27.4 percent of the total marriages in 2002, with one out of every eight children in Taiwan born into a cross-border family, " said NSC Deputy Minister Yang Hung-duen.
The same phenomenon can be seen in East Asian countries like South Korea and Japan, he said.
"The phenomena of 'brides from Asia' in Japan, 'mixed marriages' in South Korea, and 'foreign and Chinese brides' in Taiwan, all attract huge media attention, cause public panic and challenge these societies whose population policies are based on mono-ethnic principles, " he claimed.
In Europe, marriage migration also has been steadily growing, resulting from globalization and the expansion of the European Union, he said. The issues of the political, social and cultural citizenship of migrants and their children are constantly in public debate, he added.
The Conference on Intermediated Cross-Border Marriages in Asia and Europe, which is being organized by the National Science Council (NSC) , the Institute of Sociology of Academia Sinica and the Netherlands-based International Institute of Asian Studies has invited 13 foreign academics for discussions with their local counterparts.
"In Taiwan, cross-border marriages accounted for 27.4 percent of the total marriages in 2002, with one out of every eight children in Taiwan born into a cross-border family, " said NSC Deputy Minister Yang Hung-duen.
The same phenomenon can be seen in East Asian countries like South Korea and Japan, he said.
"The phenomena of 'brides from Asia' in Japan, 'mixed marriages' in South Korea, and 'foreign and Chinese brides' in Taiwan, all attract huge media attention, cause public panic and challenge these societies whose population policies are based on mono-ethnic principles, " he claimed.
In Europe, marriage migration also has been steadily growing, resulting from globalization and the expansion of the European Union, he said. The issues of the political, social and cultural citizenship of migrants and their children are constantly in public debate, he added.
2006 TAIWAN EUROPEAN FILM FESTIVAL EXPANDS TO THREE CITIES
Taipei, Sept. 18 (CNA) The second Taiwan European Film Festival will be held from Sept. 21 to Oct. 8 and will be expanded to three cities, with 10 European films being screened, organizers announced Monday in Taipei.
The event will be the only film festival in Taiwan to show exclusively European films, said festival organizer Frederic Laplanche of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taipei, who added that it will "let Taiwanese people feel the united diversity in the European Union and the European life style."
Three of the films -- Soccer Day from Spain, Liberated Zone from Germany and In Orange from the Netherlands -- are "soccer films" that reflect the soccer fever throughout Europe.
"Soccer to Europe is like air to humans. We breathe and sleep with it, " Laplanche claimed.
The films will be screened in Taichung Universal Cinema City from Sept. 24- 28, in the Taipei Eslite Hsinyi from Sept. 28-Oct. 1, and in the Hsinchu Museum of Images from Oct. 4-8. Showings in Taichung and Hsinchu will be free of charge.
"I have found that Europeans and Taiwanese share the same passion for movies. And Europeans really like Taiwanese movies, especially those by directors Edward Yang, Ho Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang, " according to Laplanche.
Since Taiwanese are more familiar with French films, organizers this year brought in films from countries such as Poland, Hungary, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Sweden and Ireland so the audience can get a different feel, he added.
The event will be the only film festival in Taiwan to show exclusively European films, said festival organizer Frederic Laplanche of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taipei, who added that it will "let Taiwanese people feel the united diversity in the European Union and the European life style."
Three of the films -- Soccer Day from Spain, Liberated Zone from Germany and In Orange from the Netherlands -- are "soccer films" that reflect the soccer fever throughout Europe.
"Soccer to Europe is like air to humans. We breathe and sleep with it, " Laplanche claimed.
The films will be screened in Taichung Universal Cinema City from Sept. 24- 28, in the Taipei Eslite Hsinyi from Sept. 28-Oct. 1, and in the Hsinchu Museum of Images from Oct. 4-8. Showings in Taichung and Hsinchu will be free of charge.
"I have found that Europeans and Taiwanese share the same passion for movies. And Europeans really like Taiwanese movies, especially those by directors Edward Yang, Ho Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang, " according to Laplanche.
Since Taiwanese are more familiar with French films, organizers this year brought in films from countries such as Poland, Hungary, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Sweden and Ireland so the audience can get a different feel, he added.
EXHIBITION COMMEMORATES TAIWANESE MEMORY OF WWII
Taipei, Sept. 15 (CNA) A collection of Taiwanese cultural and historical relics from World War II is being displayed in Taipei to remind Taiwanese of the brutality of war and to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the end of WWII.
The exhibition, titled "Memory under Fire, " opened in Taipei Sept. 1 and will run until Feb. 28, 2007 at the exhibition hall of Taiwan Storyland, a repository of Taiwanese historical memorabilia and a recreated 1965 small town.
The exhibition has hundreds of items of wartime memorabilia such as a machine gun, a doorplate of volunteer soldiers, an air raid scarf, soldiers' salary envelopes and many wartime documents.
"The exhibition hopes to help Taiwanese, especially young people, to know more about the war. The more you understand it, the more you cherish life and your homeland, " said Franky Wu, the curator and president of Taiwan Storyland.
Most of the displayed items have been selected from Wu's large personal collection -- he has been collecting historical items for more than 20 years.
"Displaying these items could be a sensitive issue for traditionalists since it makes this place like a Japanese colony again. But all I want to do is to let these items speak for themselves, " he added.
"We look to the past so we know how to embrace the future, " said Yang Huang May-sing, vice minister of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission.
Various organizations, including the Taiwanese Association of Ex-Japanese Soldiers and Families and the Taiwanese Association of Enlisting in Military and Serving as Caretakers from Districts Outside Japan, also donated items for the exhibition.
The exhibition, titled "Memory under Fire, " opened in Taipei Sept. 1 and will run until Feb. 28, 2007 at the exhibition hall of Taiwan Storyland, a repository of Taiwanese historical memorabilia and a recreated 1965 small town.
The exhibition has hundreds of items of wartime memorabilia such as a machine gun, a doorplate of volunteer soldiers, an air raid scarf, soldiers' salary envelopes and many wartime documents.
"The exhibition hopes to help Taiwanese, especially young people, to know more about the war. The more you understand it, the more you cherish life and your homeland, " said Franky Wu, the curator and president of Taiwan Storyland.
Most of the displayed items have been selected from Wu's large personal collection -- he has been collecting historical items for more than 20 years.
"Displaying these items could be a sensitive issue for traditionalists since it makes this place like a Japanese colony again. But all I want to do is to let these items speak for themselves, " he added.
"We look to the past so we know how to embrace the future, " said Yang Huang May-sing, vice minister of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission.
Various organizations, including the Taiwanese Association of Ex-Japanese Soldiers and Families and the Taiwanese Association of Enlisting in Military and Serving as Caretakers from Districts Outside Japan, also donated items for the exhibition.
Friday, September 15, 2006
COVERAGE OF CHINA, TAIWAN CONSTRUCTION SLANTED: MEDIA WATCH GROUP
Taipei, Sept. 14 (CNA) Taiwan media's coverage of two construction projects in Taiwan and China were "astonishingly off-balance and leaned toward China, " a local media watch group said in a report Thursday.
Forty-seven percent of the media coverage of the Hsuehshan tunnel, the longest tunnel in Taiwan that connects the city of Taipei to the northesatern county of Yilan, was negative, while only 10 percent of the reports on China's Qinghai-Tibet Railway were negative, the report found.
Qinghai-Tibet Railway connects China's Qinghai Province to Tibet Autonomous Region and is the highest rail track in the world. It was constructed according to schedule and encountered few problems, while the Hsuehshan tunnel ran over-schedule and encountered numerous massive technical problems during construction.
Ignoring the social, economic, ecological and cultural impact of the railway showed the decontextualization in the media coverage, said Chin Heng-wei, chief editor of Contemporary magazine.
The railway also presented China's military projection to Tibet, which has been seeking for independence over the years, and reflects China's possible thinking on Taiwan, warned Chung Nien-huang of the media watch group Taiwan Herald Society.
The report, which was released by Broadcasting Development Fund, monitored the news coverage of six electronic media and seven print media before and after the inauguration of both constructions.
Forty-seven percent of the media coverage of the Hsuehshan tunnel, the longest tunnel in Taiwan that connects the city of Taipei to the northesatern county of Yilan, was negative, while only 10 percent of the reports on China's Qinghai-Tibet Railway were negative, the report found.
Qinghai-Tibet Railway connects China's Qinghai Province to Tibet Autonomous Region and is the highest rail track in the world. It was constructed according to schedule and encountered few problems, while the Hsuehshan tunnel ran over-schedule and encountered numerous massive technical problems during construction.
Ignoring the social, economic, ecological and cultural impact of the railway showed the decontextualization in the media coverage, said Chin Heng-wei, chief editor of Contemporary magazine.
The railway also presented China's military projection to Tibet, which has been seeking for independence over the years, and reflects China's possible thinking on Taiwan, warned Chung Nien-huang of the media watch group Taiwan Herald Society.
The report, which was released by Broadcasting Development Fund, monitored the news coverage of six electronic media and seven print media before and after the inauguration of both constructions.
`TRUE' VOICE OF TAIWAN PEOPLE SHOULD BE HEARD: RALLY ORGANIZERS
Taipei, Sep. 14 (CNA) A rally scheduled to take place Saturday on Taipei's Ketagelan Boulevard hopes to present "the positive force of Taiwan" and have "the silent majority voice" heard, organizers said at an international press conference Thursday.
The rally, organized by the pro-independence Taiwan Society has been officially named "Formosa Sunrise" and will take place from 3-6 pm Sept. 16, one day after the conclusion of the ongoing anti-President Chen Shui-bian protest.
It isnot a campaign to support Chen or one to fight former Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Shih Ming-teh, who organized the anti-Chen campaign, the Taiwan Society said in a press release.
Organizers said the rally, which organizers hope will attract 100,000 participants, supports the democratic system and rule of law, rather than any single individual.
They also claimed the "anti-corruption" argument presented by the anti-Chen protesters is an "excuse" and pointed out that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
Taiwan's young democracy needs the support of everyone, said Taiwan Society President Wu Shu-ming, adding that Taiwan also needs international support to maintain its democracy, freedom and rule of law.
"Darkness is not the color of Taiwan. We believe in love, hope, peace and democracy. Violence and hatred lead Taiwan to nowhere, " said Che Pei-chun, Taiwan Society spokeswoman and a professor at National Chengchi University.
"Our rally will not be 'anti' anything but we want to say what it is for. We are for democracy and rule of law, " said Lo Chih-cheng, a professor at Soochow University.
The president is not obliged to step down just because there are people protesting, Lo pointed out.
The rally, organized by the pro-independence Taiwan Society has been officially named "Formosa Sunrise" and will take place from 3-6 pm Sept. 16, one day after the conclusion of the ongoing anti-President Chen Shui-bian protest.
It isnot a campaign to support Chen or one to fight former Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Shih Ming-teh, who organized the anti-Chen campaign, the Taiwan Society said in a press release.
Organizers said the rally, which organizers hope will attract 100,000 participants, supports the democratic system and rule of law, rather than any single individual.
They also claimed the "anti-corruption" argument presented by the anti-Chen protesters is an "excuse" and pointed out that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
Taiwan's young democracy needs the support of everyone, said Taiwan Society President Wu Shu-ming, adding that Taiwan also needs international support to maintain its democracy, freedom and rule of law.
"Darkness is not the color of Taiwan. We believe in love, hope, peace and democracy. Violence and hatred lead Taiwan to nowhere, " said Che Pei-chun, Taiwan Society spokeswoman and a professor at National Chengchi University.
"Our rally will not be 'anti' anything but we want to say what it is for. We are for democracy and rule of law, " said Lo Chih-cheng, a professor at Soochow University.
The president is not obliged to step down just because there are people protesting, Lo pointed out.
ANTI-CHEN PROTEST CREATES DIVISION, NOT SOLUTION: ACADEMICS
Taipei, Sept. 14 (CNA) The "Million Voices Against Corruption" campaign aimed at forcing President Chen Shui-bian to step down has only created division instead of finding a solution, academics said Thursday.
The protest led by former ruling Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Shih Ming-teh has not presented any discussion of a solution, said Lo Chih-cheng, a Soochow University professor.
"Why will Taiwan be a better country after President Chen steps down? The protest does not explain that, " Lo said.
The protest has also failed to conquer three great divides: the ideological divide, the class divide, and the ethnic divide, Lo went on.
It is hard to look at the event as a non-partisan campaign and an urban middle-class demonstration, he added.
"The protest reminds me of China's Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, " said Bob Kuo, a professor at National Sun Yat-sen University.
"Foreigners who watch television news in Taiwan might get the idea that Chen accomplished nothing during the past six years, " said Che Pei-chun, a professor at National Chengchi University.
"But I'm proud of Taiwan. I'm proud of the Hsuehshan tunnel and everything Taiwan has accomplished over the years, " she said, adding that now is the time to look at the brighter side of Taiwan and keep the country going.
"I would like to say to the protesters: "Come on, get a life, " Che added.
The protest led by former ruling Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Shih Ming-teh has not presented any discussion of a solution, said Lo Chih-cheng, a Soochow University professor.
"Why will Taiwan be a better country after President Chen steps down? The protest does not explain that, " Lo said.
The protest has also failed to conquer three great divides: the ideological divide, the class divide, and the ethnic divide, Lo went on.
It is hard to look at the event as a non-partisan campaign and an urban middle-class demonstration, he added.
"The protest reminds me of China's Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, " said Bob Kuo, a professor at National Sun Yat-sen University.
"Foreigners who watch television news in Taiwan might get the idea that Chen accomplished nothing during the past six years, " said Che Pei-chun, a professor at National Chengchi University.
"But I'm proud of Taiwan. I'm proud of the Hsuehshan tunnel and everything Taiwan has accomplished over the years, " she said, adding that now is the time to look at the brighter side of Taiwan and keep the country going.
"I would like to say to the protesters: "Come on, get a life, " Che added.
TV COVERAGE ON ANTI-CHEN CAMPAIGN 'EXCESSIVE': MEDIA WATCHDOG
Taipei, Sept. 14 (CNA) A report found that cable television news coverage of an ongoing anti-Chen sit-in campaign has been so excessive that as much as three quarters of all 60-minute newscasts have been focusing on the topic, a media watchdog said Thursday.
Three of six television news networks monitored by the watchdog featured reportage on the campaign that took up more than half of every hour of news broadcasts from Aug. 22- 24, with TVBS-N topping the list at 75 percent, ETTV second at 62 percent, and SET third at 51 percent, said Connie Lin, CEO of the Broadcasting Development Fund.
On Aug. 23, TVBS-N devoted 85 percent of its new reporting to the campaign, the review found.
"It makes you wonder if this [campaign] has been the only thing that has happened in Taiwan," she said.
The news coverage has been unbalanced as well since the campaign began on Sept. 9, said Hsu Yung-ming, a research fellow at Academia Sinica.
Hsu pointed out that only two cable television networks reported on President Chen Shui-bian's teleconference with Taiwan allies' ambassadors to the UN, U.S. scholars and the international press yesterday, when Taiwan's bid for the UN membership was blocked for the 14th straight year.
"As far as news reporting goes, it is hard for me to see where the Principle of Proportionality is," Hsu said.
Three of six television news networks monitored by the watchdog featured reportage on the campaign that took up more than half of every hour of news broadcasts from Aug. 22- 24, with TVBS-N topping the list at 75 percent, ETTV second at 62 percent, and SET third at 51 percent, said Connie Lin, CEO of the Broadcasting Development Fund.
On Aug. 23, TVBS-N devoted 85 percent of its new reporting to the campaign, the review found.
"It makes you wonder if this [campaign] has been the only thing that has happened in Taiwan," she said.
The news coverage has been unbalanced as well since the campaign began on Sept. 9, said Hsu Yung-ming, a research fellow at Academia Sinica.
Hsu pointed out that only two cable television networks reported on President Chen Shui-bian's teleconference with Taiwan allies' ambassadors to the UN, U.S. scholars and the international press yesterday, when Taiwan's bid for the UN membership was blocked for the 14th straight year.
"As far as news reporting goes, it is hard for me to see where the Principle of Proportionality is," Hsu said.
FRENCH EXPERTS HELP PROTECT UNDERWATER CULTURAL ASSETS
Taipei, Sept. 13 (CNA) A pair of French specialists completed a six-day trip to Penghu, an island group off southwestern Taiwan, Wednesday to help with the first project of underwater cultural assets preservation in Taiwan, according to a government agency.
Jean-Luc Massy, director of the Department for Underwater and Undersea Archeological Research (DRASSM) which is under the supervision of the French Ministry of Culture, led a group of Taiwanese researchers in the expedition off the coast of Makung, Penghu, searching for a shipwreck.
Ceramics and ancient Chinese porcelain were found during dredging of Makung harbor last year. The dredging was immediately suspended after the findings, and gossip about shipwrecks and a submerged city soon spread among the locals, said Chang Lung, Director of the National Center for Research and Preservation of Cultural Property.
The research team found porcelain, ceramics and wood during two dives into the 10-meter-deep water, Massy said, adding that the articles could come from the 15th to 18th Century but there was no evidence of a shipwreck.
There is estimated to be more than 300 shipwrecks in the Taiwan Strait, Chang said.
With the help of underwater archeology, the study of Taiwanese maritime history will help give a better understanding of its ancient history and position in Southeast Asia, Massy added.
Jean-Luc Massy, director of the Department for Underwater and Undersea Archeological Research (DRASSM) which is under the supervision of the French Ministry of Culture, led a group of Taiwanese researchers in the expedition off the coast of Makung, Penghu, searching for a shipwreck.
Ceramics and ancient Chinese porcelain were found during dredging of Makung harbor last year. The dredging was immediately suspended after the findings, and gossip about shipwrecks and a submerged city soon spread among the locals, said Chang Lung, Director of the National Center for Research and Preservation of Cultural Property.
The research team found porcelain, ceramics and wood during two dives into the 10-meter-deep water, Massy said, adding that the articles could come from the 15th to 18th Century but there was no evidence of a shipwreck.
There is estimated to be more than 300 shipwrecks in the Taiwan Strait, Chang said.
With the help of underwater archeology, the study of Taiwanese maritime history will help give a better understanding of its ancient history and position in Southeast Asia, Massy added.
HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT AWARD TO HONOR 15 RECIPIENTS
Taipei, Sep. 13 (CNA) Fifteen groups and individuals will be honored with the 2006 National HRD (Human Resources Development) InnoPrize on Sep. 22, organizers announced Wednesday at a press conference.
The selection committee, supervised by the Council of Labor Affairs, selected 15 out of 79 applicants for the annual award, which aims to recognize innovative human resources development in Taiwan.
The international forum "Summit on Globalization of Human Resources 2006" will be held in conjunction with the award ceremony from Sep. 22-23, organizers said.
Delegations from seven countries and 11 human resources scholars, including University of Pennsylvania professor Peter Capelli, will participate in the two-day summit.
The selection committee, supervised by the Council of Labor Affairs, selected 15 out of 79 applicants for the annual award, which aims to recognize innovative human resources development in Taiwan.
The international forum "Summit on Globalization of Human Resources 2006" will be held in conjunction with the award ceremony from Sep. 22-23, organizers said.
Delegations from seven countries and 11 human resources scholars, including University of Pennsylvania professor Peter Capelli, will participate in the two-day summit.
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