The government is committed to protecting the universal value of free speech and Taiwan’s hard-won democracy through promoting historical truths and cultural preservation, Premier Lai Ching-te said April 3.
Passage of the Transitional Justice Promotion Act by the Legislature last December will help ensure the era of government censorship will never return, Lai said. In addition, to enable people to freely express opinions in their native languages, the Legislature approved the Indigenous Languages Development Act in June 2017 and the Hakka Basic Act in January this year, while a bill on national language development is under review, he added.
The premier made the remarks at the opening of a seminar commemorating Free Speech Day, held annually April 7. Designated by former Premier Lin Chuan in December 2016, the occasion pays tribute to Taiwan publisher and democracy activist Cheng Nan-jung, who committed suicide by self-immolation in defense of freedoms of speech and the press in 1989.
Organized by the Ministry of the Interior, the one-day seminar focused on the government’s role in managing controversial data in the information age, ensuring the right of free speech in public issues for disadvantaged or minority groups and narrowing the digital gap.
Taiwan’s efforts in advancing human rights over recent decades have gained global recognition, Lai said, citing the country’s ranking as free in the Freedom in the World report released Jan. 16 by U.S.-based nongovernmental organization Freedom House. This is the 20th consecutive year the nation received the classification.
And in the latest World Press Freedom Index released April 26, 2017, by Paris-based Reporters without Borders, Taiwan topped Asia and climbed six places to 45th among the 180 countries and territories surveyed.
Lai reiterated appreciation for the contributions and sacrifices of democracy pioneers like Cheng. In view of emerging challenges to free speech in the digital age, the government will continue updating related measures to balance privacy and this fundamental right, he said. (SFC-E)
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