Taipei, Oct. 23 (CNA) A human rights advisory group under the Presidential Office will be formally inaugurated Tuesday, with Vice President Annette Lu as its chief convener.
According to regulations governing the formation of the advisory panel unveiled by President Chen Shui-bian in September, the main missions of the group will include promoting legislation of a national human rights bill and establishment of a national human rights commission, studying human rights policy proposals, taking part in international human rights activities, promoting human rights education and reviewing Taiwan's human rights conditions.
Vice President Lu announced the 21-member roster of the new advisory group in a press conference Monday. Lu said all of the members have either been good at human rights issues or had much contribution to Taiwan's human rights development.
The members included noted writer Bo Yang; lawyer Yu Mei-nu; Chai Sung-lin, president of the Chinese Human Rights Association; Ho Teh-fen, a National Taiwan University law professor; Catholic Cardinal Paul Shan; Providence University professor Hsu Shih-kai; and Taiwan News President Yang Hsien-hung.
Lu said the group will be divided into six panels, each of which will take charge of one category of the group's six different missions. The group will call a plenary session every four months, and, if necessary, the chief convener can call extraordinary meetings. Each panel can hold working meetings anytime.