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Taiwan president heads to US, Central America to shore up ties

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen is set to visit the US to strengthen ties with Guatemala and Belize after China took another of the island’s few diplomatic allies.

Analysts suggest the trip comes at a critical moment, with Beijing increasing diplomatic, military, and economic pressure since Tsai took office in 2016, poaching nine of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies since then.

The United States remains Taiwan’s most crucial international ally, and its most significant arms supplier, despite switching its own diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.

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2 years ago

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TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen was due to leave for the United States on Wednesday, a stop on her way to firm ties with Guatemala and Belize after China snapped up another of the self-ruled island’s few diplomatic allies last week.

Belize and Guatemala are among just 13 countries that officially recognise democratic Taipei over Beijing after Honduras opened diplomatic relations with China on Sunday.

China claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory, to be retaken one day — by force, if necessary. Under its “One China” principle, no country may maintain official ties with both Beijing and Taipei.

After first visiting New York, President Tsai will continue her 10-day trip by meeting her Guatemalan counterpart Alejandro Giammattei and Belize Prime Minister John Briceno, her office said.

She will then stop in Los Angeles on her way back to Taiwan.

US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said he will meet Tsai in California, a move protested by Beijing. Taiwanese authorities have not confirmed the meeting with McCarthy, or Tsai’s itinerary while in New York.

Last year, a visit by McCarthy’s predecessor to Taiwan sparked an angry response from Beijing, with the Chinese military conducting drills at an unprecedented scale around the island. Taipei said the exercises were prepared for an invasion.

Official vs unofficial ties

Analysts say the Taiwanese president’s US stopover comes at a key time, with Beijing having ramped up military, economic and diplomatic pressure on the island since Tsai came to power in 2016, poaching nine of its diplomatic allies since then.

“Beijing’s attempts to poach Taiwan’s diplomatic partners will lead to Taiwan developing closer ties with the United States,” said James Lee, a researcher on US-Taiwan relations at Taiwan’s Academia Sinica.

While the visit had been on the cards before Honduras announced its switch, Lee said the timing of the trip does have “symbolism”.

The United States remains Taiwan’s most important international ally — and its biggest arms supplier — despite having switched its own diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.

Lee said the strength of Taiwan’s unofficial allegiances was as important as any official ties.

“The loss of official relations with third countries will be offset by a deepening of Taiwan’s unofficial relations,” he said.

China bristles not only at official exchanges but also opposes visits by politicians from countries with whom Taiwan has unofficial relations.

This week, Czech parliamentary speaker Marketa Pekarova Adamova led a large delegation from her country, while Germany’s education minister last week made her country’s first cabinet-level visit to the island in 26 years.

Neither country maintains official ties with Taiwan, but the meetings still provoked angry responses from Beijing, where a foreign ministry spokesman termed the German trip “malicious”.

— AFP

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AFP

Singapore hangs 14th drug convict since last year

Singapore executed Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, convicted of drug trafficking, amid a resumption of executions in 2022. Another woman prisoner, Saridewi Djamani, faces execution.

Amnesty International urged Singapore to halt the executions, questioning the deterrent effect of the death penalty.

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1 year ago

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26 July 2023

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SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE — Singapore on Wednesday hanged a local man convicted of drug trafficking, officials said, two days before the scheduled execution of the first woman prisoner in the city-state in nearly 20 years.

Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, convicted and sentenced to death in 2017 for trafficking “not less than 49.98 grams” (1.76 ounces) of heroin, was executed at Changi Prison, the Central Narcotics Bureau said in a statement.

The 57-year-old was the 14th convict sent to the gallows since the government resumed executions in March 2022 after a two-year pause during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hussain’s previous appeals against his conviction and sentence had been dismissed, and a petition for presidential clemency was also denied.

A woman drug convict, 45-year-old Saridewi Djamani, is scheduled to be hanged on Friday, according to the local rights group Transformative Justice Collective (TJC).

She was sentenced to death in 2018 for trafficking around 30 grams of heroin.

If carried out, Djamani would be the first woman executed in Singapore since 2004, when 36-year-old hairdresser Yen May Woen was hanged for drug trafficking, according to TJC activist Kokila Annamalai.

Singapore has some of the world’s toughest anti-drug laws — trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis or over 15 grams of heroin can result in the death penalty.

Rights watchdog Amnesty International on Tuesday urged Singapore to halt the executions, saying there was no evidence the death penalty acted as a deterrent to crime.

“It is unconscionable that authorities in Singapore continue to cruelly pursue more executions in the name of drug control,” Amnesty death penalty expert Chiara Sangiorgio said in a statement.

Singapore, however, insists that the death penalty has helped make it one of Asia’s safest countries.

Among those hanged since last year was Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, whose execution sparked a global outcry, including from the United Nations and British tycoon Richard Branson, because he was deemed to have a mental disability.

— AFP

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AFP

Singapore to execute first woman in nearly 20 years: rights groups

Singapore set to execute two drug convicts, including first woman in 20 years, despite rights groups’ calls to stop.

Published

1 year ago

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25 July 2023

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SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE — Singapore is set to hang two drug convicts this week, including the first woman to be sent to the gallows in nearly 20 years, rights groups said Tuesday, while urging the executions be halted.

Local rights organisation Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) said a 56-year-old man convicted of trafficking 50 grams (1.76 ounces) of heroin is scheduled to be hanged on Wednesday at the Southeast Asian city-state’s Changi Prison.

A 45-year-old woman convict who TJC identified as Saridewi Djamani is also set to be sent to the gallows on Friday. She was sentenced to death in 2018 for trafficking around 30 grams of heroin.

If carried out, she would be the first woman to be executed in Singapore since 2004 when 36-year-old hairdresser Yen May Woen was hanged for drug trafficking, said TJC activist Kokila Annamalai.

TJC said the two prisoners are Singaporeans and their families have received notices setting the dates of their executions.

Prison officials have not answered emailed questions from AFP seeking confirmation.

Singapore imposes the death penalty for certain crimes, including murder and some forms of kidnapping.

It also has some of the world’s toughest anti-drug laws: trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis and 15 grams of heroin can result in the death penalty.

At least 13 people have been hanged so far since the government resumed executions following a two-year hiatus in place during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rights watchdog Amnesty International on Tuesday urged Singapore to halt the impending executions.

“It is unconscionable that authorities in Singapore continue to cruelly pursue more executions in the name of drug control,” Amnesty’s death penalty expert Chiara Sangiorgio said in a statement.

“There is no evidence that the death penalty has a unique deterrent effect or that it has any impact on the use and availability of drugs.

“As countries around the world do away with the death penalty and embrace drug policy reform, Singapore’s authorities are doing neither,” Sangiorgio added.

Singapore insists that the death penalty is an effective crime deterrent.

— AFP

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