Minister of Culture Lung Yingtai says she supports universal suffrage in Hong Kong.
Lung was speaking on Monday as protests over the right to vote for candidates other than those hand-picked by Beijing continued in Hong Kong.
Lung said that in Taiwan, the right of each citizen to vote is a basic right, a given like eating or breathing. She expressed her support for Hong Kong citizens, saying that their demands for universal suffrage are reasonable.
But Lung declined to pass judgment on the question of whether Hong Kong protestors’ tactic of occupying the city’s streets is appropriate. She said that as an outsider, there is nothing she can say about protestors’ actions.
"I think that outsiders cannot say whether the “Occupy Central” campaign or other methods of protest are right or wrong," said Lung. "Local people analyze the entire historical context and power relations. We have to respect local people. There is nothing I can say."
Lung said that the Occupy Central campaign, which has taken over parts of the city, is not a trivial matter. She said she hopes the Beijing authorities will be able to deal with the current deadlock and face the demands of the people of Hong Kong.