The local Red Cross is a good example of the kinds of small but important moves that need to be made as Taiwan moves into its post-colonial transition. The Republic of China Red Cross has operated under a special act passed in 1954, exempt from the usual laws governing civil organizations. The Taipei Times reports:
The first policy negotiations between the Executive Yuan and the Legislative Yuan on Monday night resulted in a decision to abolish the Red Cross Society Act of the Republic of China (中華民國紅十字會法), the Executive Yuan said.In other countries the Red Cross/Crescent operates under different legal regimes, but then it is part of the international organization. The local ROC Red Cross, while appropriating the name, is not recognized by the international Red Cross. Hence, there is no need for a special legal framework for it -- it is a local organization.
The New Power Party (NPP) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in February proposed abolishing the act, saying that the society had special legal status and was not subject to the Civil Associations Act (人民團體法) and the Charity Donations Act (公益勸募條例), adding that the abolishment of the act would advance the implementation of “transitional justice.”
Over the years there have been accusations of cronyism in its board and leadership appointments, strongly pro-KMT and pro-China stance, and a lack of transparency in donations. This back story is why many in the DPP and NPP view the elimination of its special status as an act of transitional justice -- and why the KMT is protesting so vigorously against placing the Red Cross under the law.
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4 comments:
Huh? It's the Red Cross, they're supposed to be politically neutral. In what way do they have "pro-KMT" or "pro-China" stances?
Our Red Cross isn't affiliated with the International one. So the KMT is alleged to use it to reward people by parking them on its board with nice salaries, in addition to maintaining long term control over it via the leadership appointments, whose system isn't very transparent. And it is also accused of focusing on disasters in China to the detriment of work elsewhere.
Hence knowedgable Taiwanese are leary of making donations to the local "Red Cross". KMT controlled every aspect of Taiwan society to their PROFIT.
@Anonymous
Huh? It's the Red Cross, they're supposed to be politically neutral. In what way do they have "pro-KMT" or "pro-China" stances?
KMT is like virus vector. For any organization, if it let one KMTer in, it will bring two more in, which will bring four more in, and so on.
ROC Red Cross has been infested this way.
Taiwan has been infested this way.
KMT wants the SE China Sea to be infested this way too.
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