August 22 is the Middle Yuan Festival (the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar), according to traditional customs, many people will worship their ancestors, and Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen sent a post on Facebook to pray for blessings, calling on the people on the island to continue to implement epidemic prevention measures and "wish Taiwan peace."
According to Taiwan media reports, because only 154 smuggled cats were euthanized on the 21st, and the vaccine shortage problem has not been solved, Tsai Ing-wen's post has aroused strong dissatisfaction among the people on the island.
Taiwan netizens angrily asked Tsai Ing-wen "where is the vaccine" and "there will be no peace in Taiwan" and criticized the Taiwan authorities for "not taking life seriously when they get power", and questioned why the relevant departments did not quarantine first and then euthanize smuggled animals.
Screenshot of Taiwan media report
According to Taiwan media such as the China Times News Network and Lianhe Pao, Taiwan's "Coast Guard" announced on August 21 that it had seized a case of illegal smuggling of cats of unguarded breeds, and the Kaohsiung Branch of Taiwan's Animal and Plant Quarantine Bureau said on the evening of the 21st that it had completed the "humane euthanasia" procedure for 154 cats involved in the case at 16:00 on the same day.
After the news came out, many angry netizens on the island went to Tsai Ing-wen's Facebook to go on a crusade, questioning why the Taiwan authorities were so eager to end those innocent lives on the International Stray Animal Day (21st), criticizing them as "too cruel", "impersonal" and "stereotypical and bureaucratic".
Subsequently, Tsai Ing-wen issued a document condemning the smugglers late at night on the 21st, saying that the loss of life was the result of the smugglers' attempts to seek personal interests and not follow legal procedures, and hoped that everyone could understand that in order to protect the animals on the island from the risk of disease caused by smuggled animals, the relevant departments must implement disposal measures.
For Tsai Ing-wen's explanation, many Taiwanese, including Taiwan's People First Party politician Li Zhenghao, do not buy it, and some netizens satirize Tsai Ing-wen for "not even caring about human life, how can they care about the lives of cats and dogs."
However, some people have expressed understanding for the Taiwan authorities' approach, saying that it is excusable to stand on the stand of epidemic prevention.
However, in March this year, after Chinese mainland suspended the import of pineapples in Taiwan to prevent the risk of plant epidemics, Tsai Ing-wen jumped to her feet, calling this an "abnormal trade consideration" and she wanted to express condemnation. Nowadays, when the island encounters quarantine problems, it is not soft-hearted.
A day later, on August 22, Tsai Ing-wen sent another Facebook page, with her own blessing propaganda photos wrote: "Today is the Mid-Yuan Festival, while praying for Taiwan, family and friends, we must also continue to implement epidemic prevention measures together." May Taiwan be at peace. ”
Under this Facebook, only a few voices are cheering her on, hoping that Taiwan can get through the difficulties.
But many Taiwanese netizens are still angry about the euthanasia of 154 smuggled cats, and they are still questioning why they did not quarantine first and then euthanize.
There are also many netizens who mentioned the natural and man-made disasters in Taiwan since the beginning of this year, questioned the dereliction of duty of the Taiwan authorities, not only the epidemic prevention and control is not effective, the number of vaccine procurement is insufficient, and reprimanded Tsai Ing-wen for only knowing to send a letter to pray for "atonement" and should hurry to purchase vaccines.
According to the Taiwan Regional Epidemic Command Center on August 22, Taiwan added 10 new confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia on the 22nd, and since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, as of the 22nd, Taiwan has confirmed a total of 15,926 cases of new coronary pneumonia, including 828 deaths.
Although the spread of the epidemic on the island has slowed down, there is still a shortage of vaccines, and there have been many mistakes in the vaccination process. According to the ETtoday News Cloud, on August 19, there were also three cases in Taichung City that the vaccinator would be given the Modena vaccine in advance, and after the test, it was found that it was a case of AstraZeneca, which caused dissatisfaction among netizens on the island.
In addition, the Taiwan authorities have spared no effort to promote the self-produced "high-end vaccine", but because there is no phase III trial, its safety and efficacy have attracted much attention, and the people on the island are not willing to vaccinate the vaccine.
This article is an exclusive manuscript of the Observer Network and may not be reproduced without authorization.