Activists take streets of Taipei on bikes for a free Tibet

Activists take streets of Taipei on bikes for a free Tibet

2025-02-05

The Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan held an event on Wednesday called "Cycling for a Free Tibet." Activists rode bicycles in the capital, chanting slogans in support of Tibetans. The event comes one month ahead of the Tibetan Uprising Day on March 10, which commemorates the 1959 Tibetan revolt against the People’s Republic of China. Outside the Legislative Yuan, activists were joined by lawmakers, who called for unity among defenders of human rights.

Zooming by on their bicycles and chanting slogans are the participants of the bike march, organized by the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan. They rode from the 228 Peace Park in Taipei to the Legislative Yuan, where they sang the national anthem of Tibet.

March 10 will be the 66th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising Day. Civic groups hope to raise awareness about the plea of Tibetans in exile, and about China’s oppressive tactics.

Tashi Tsering
Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan
The Chinese Communist Party treats Tibetans and Han Chinese people differently. They haven’t changed at all, and they still use all sorts of means to oppress Tibetans. But all the Tibetans in Tibet haven’t given up even after more than 70 years.

Gonpo Dhondup
Tibetan Youth Congress
The Tibetan people will continue to resist. They’ll continue to fight until our rightful independence is restored.

A civic group for Hong Kongers exiled in Taiwan also joined the event.

Sky Fung
Hong Kong Outlanders
We are walking on the same road together, seeking democracy and freedom. We must support each other at this time.

Puma Shen
Lawmaker (DPP)
What the Chinese Communist Party fears the most is different human rights groups and different groups fighting for freedom banding together.

Chen Pei-yu
Lawmaker (DPP)
As a long-term defender of children’s rights, I urge everyone to support the children of Tibet so that they can grow up and thrive.

DPP lawmakers also attended the event, rallying support for the civic groups, calling for unity in face of Chinese hegemony.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

宣揚"西藏抗暴"66週年活動沈伯洋.陳培瑜到場力挺

2025-02-05

適逢310西藏抗暴日66週年，"西藏台灣人權連線"今年第15年舉辦"為西藏自由而騎"活動，今天上午，一路從228公園出發抵達立法院，邊騎車邊高喊訴求，也強調，即便遭中國極力打壓，他們不會放棄。民進黨立委沈伯洋、陳培瑜都到場聲援。

騎腳踏車高喊訴求，"西藏台灣人權連線"發起活動，一路從228公園騎到立法院，現場還唱起西藏國歌。

今年是310西藏抗暴日66週年，希望藉此活動要讓更多人理解，藏人流亡海外、被中國壓迫的心聲。

[[西藏台灣人權連線秘書長札西慈仁]]
“中共對藏人跟漢人是完全不平等的，中共完全沒有改變，中共各式各樣的打壓西藏人，但是在西藏裡面的西藏人七十多年，他們根本沒有放棄”

[[西藏青年會的主席貢布頓珠]]
“我們會繼續抵抗暴政，繼續抗爭，堅持獨立自主”

同樣受中國壓迫的在台港人青年組織，也到場聲援。

[[香港邊城青年秘書長馮詔天Sky]]
“我們作為同樣走在，追求民主自由這條路上的人，我們必須在這時候互相扶持”

[[立委(民) 沈伯洋]]
“不管是不同人權團體，不同為自由奮鬥的團體，大家串聯在一起，這是中共最害怕的事情”

[[立委(民) 陳培瑜]]
“站在長期維護兒童人權的立場，我想呼籲大家一起支持西藏的孩子，可以好好長大”

綠營立委出席，以實際行動，表達支持，喊話團結面對中國霸權。

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Huang En-ching
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Also delicately painted on her nails are the logo for the Taiwan-UN Alliance, Taiwanese products, local landmarks, and more. They were highlighted in a YouTube video, and have become her specialty.

Huang En-ching
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Originally, I wanted to bring a piece of my mom’s love with me. To take our determination for Taiwan to join these organizations and bring it abroad to show people around the world.

Last May, Huang went with the WHO outreach team to Geneva, Switzerland. She also painted her nails especially for the occasion.

Huang En-ching
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I use my nails to promote Taiwan. I introduce some of the things we have here, like Taipei 101 for example. Then I also did Taiwanese food, and painted bubble tea and dumplings.

Huang’s mother is a manicurist who’s also skilled in oil painting and drawing. Before her daughter travels abroad, they get together to brainstorm how to portray Taiwan on Huang’s nails. She’s gotten a lot of attention for her eye-catching manicures.

Hsiao Tzu-han
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I encourage my daughter to participate in things that help Taiwan and help the world to understand Taiwan. People abroad who see her nails may stop and say, “Wow, what is this?” And through that you can start a discussion. It’s a way to more naturally and directly introduce Taiwan.

The mother uses her skill as a manicurist to help her daughter find a unique way to support Taiwan. Huang’s belief in backing Taiwan and her mother’s love shine brightly under the foreign sun.

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School resumes in Tainan after damaging January earthquake

Children in Tainan headed back to school on Wednesday for the first time after the Lunar New Year break. But for many students, the return to class was quite different this year. An earthquake on Jan. 21 dealt heavy damage to many schools in the southern city, meaning special arrangements have had to be made to keep classes running.

Class is back on at Nansi Elementary School, where students are greeted by not one, but two principals at the gate.

The nearby Nansi Junior High School suffered great damage during a strong earthquake on Jan. 21. The tremor left cracks on the walls, deformed doors and windows, and exposed the steel rods inside reinforced concrete beams. In the assembly hall, the panels of the drop ceiling came crashing down too. The damage was so severe that several areas of the school were cordoned off, leaving students with nowhere to attend class.

Cheng Chun-chieh
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Taking into account our future projects, the quality of education and the safety of our faculty and students, we relocated 105 students and 22 teachers here from our campus.

Many of the students at Nansi Junior High graduated from Nansi Elementary, so it wasn’t too troublesome for parents dropping their kids at school. But they still hope that the students will soon return to having their own schools.

Student
Nanxi Junior High School
It feels pretty much the same. It’s just a different place.

Parent
It’s not too troublesome, but I feel that the kids might need some time to adjust.

Lee Yao-chuan
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We have provided a separate area for the Nansi Junior High School students. After all, the pace of things at middle schools and elementary schools is quite different. So this way the students won’t disturb each other.

On the first day back, students were given a refresher course on earthquake preparedness and response.

After last month’s earthquake, 181 schools in Tainan requested a combined total of NT$390 million in subsidies to repair damages. The city launched an emergency repair operation and sought funding from other sources to help schools resume normal operations as soon as possible.

Yang Chih-hsiung
Tainan Bureau of Education
We will provide special assistance to students in terms of material needs such as school supplies or uniforms and also psychological needs. We will provide counseling so they can learn ways to manage their emotions. That’s very important.

Another school that suffered heavy damage was Dongshan Junior High School. The city government has launched a different kind of response plan here, with students still coming in to school at the original campus, but taking classes only in areas deemed safe.

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Cyclists on Taipei Metro endanger other passengers

Some netizens are saying that a few MRT passengers in Taipei are making themselves a little too comfortable. A short video that went viral recently shows a group of cyclists sitting on the floor of the train. That may not sound like a big deal, were it not for the fact that they had also hung their bikes from the horizontal bars meant for passengers to grab onto. Although the cyclists didn’t seem too bothered, passengers said they were not impressed.

Is this an MRT-themed bike shop? No, it’s the real deal. Three bicycles dangle from the grab handles, looking like they’ll fall off any second. The owners sit on the floor nearby, chilling as if they were in their own living room.

MRT passenger
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Chen Shih-chung was the intrepid leader of Taiwan’s COVID go-team and now serves as a minister without portfolio. But he’s also responding personally to President Lai Ching-te’s vision of a "healthy Taiwan" by revealing that he’s been hitting the gym for eight months now. Squats, bench presses, and more are part of his regimen. Whereas before he couldn’t do a single push-up, now he can do over 10 in a row.

With guidance from his trainer, Minister Without Portfolio Chen Shih-chung perfectly executes a barbell squat.

Even at 72 years old, he can do a dozen push-ups at a time no problem. But eight months ago, it was a different story.

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It’s been two-and-a-half years since I’ve quit smoking. The biggest effect is that I don’t get out of breath. My lung capacity is especially good. So whenever I sing, I can hold the high notes better.

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I’m so happy every time they come. Otherwise, I’d be all alone. We talk about our lives. They can’t bring their girlfriends, right? We can’t see them even if we wanted to.

Lan Pin-chun
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We hope this can serve as a model. This year, we might expand to 11 or 12 other districts. We hope that conscripts from more areas can join in caring for our community and seniors in need.

More than material needs, it’s company that seniors who live alone require the most. By joining the city’s public welfare program, conscripts can spread the love to those who most need it.

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It’s a good stance for shooting monkeys. It’s a basic skill. She’s lived here ages, been running the eatery a long time.

She works hard to protect her patrons’ plates, but this nimble monkey still swoops in to grab a bite. That’s not coming back. To protect their property, numerous Shoushan residents have applied to the city’s Agriculture Bureau for tools to keep monkeys away.

Huang Chun-chung
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If it’s not a prank or a joke, but to prevent monkeys from invading property so they can run their business, then it doesn’t infringe the Act on Wildlife Conservation.

But while brandishing a gun can scare the monkeys off for a moment, it doesn’t have any lasting effect. The bigger question is how local residents and government find a way for people and monkeys to live in harmony in the long term.

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2025-02-05