Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) was on Wednesday summoned by the Taipei District Court in a civil suit of attempted murder related to the forced eviction of Sunflower movement activists from the Executive Yuan compound in Taipei in March, making him the first premier in the nation’s history accused of such a criminal act.
Granted, the case is a private prosecution, meaning that Jiang has not been indicted and that his court appearance was merely part of preliminary proceedings allowing the judges to hear his version of events before deciding whether the accusation levied against him by 23 protesters constitutes a valid case for a follow-up trial.
The court’s decision that the accusers’ suit warrants a closer look deserves acknowledgement, due to the intense pressure it must have had to sustain in opting to summon the nation’s highest administrative official as a defendant in an attempted murder case.
The violent nature of the crackdown that resulted in bloodshed as student protesters were evicted from the Executive Yuan compound overnight on March 23 makes the event a horrific memory. Pictures and video footage taken at the site show many of those who took part in the brief seizure of the building being beaten by riot police, with several sustaining injuries to the head. One police officer was captured on film using a baton to hit a protester twice on the head while the man was already on the ground. Another man was documented having a seizure after being hit on the head by an officer, and there were also scenes of police using their shields to hit protesters’ ankles.
While all these appalling images seemingly suggested a confrontation of “police versus the public,” the reality is that both the police and the protesters were victims.
First, the student-led protesters did not storm the Executive Yuan compound for no reason. President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration induced them to do so after time and again showing a lack of sincerity in responding to their demands to renegotiate or rescind the service trade pact and enhance legislative oversight of cross-strait negotiations and treaties.
Besides, not every police officer assaulted unarmed protesters with batons and 5kg shields during the dispersal — and those who did ought to own up to their actions and shoulder the legal responsibility for their behavior. The truth is that Jiang is obligated to explain the events that transpired through the chain of command that culminated in the crackdown.
National Police Agency Director-General Wang Cho-chiun (王卓鈞) told a legislative committee meeting on March 26 that the premier ordered the eviction by telephone at 7:30pm on March 23. Jiang should therefore be held accountable for the result of the directive he handed out.
However, the Executive Yuan yesterday argued that Jiang did not issue such an instruction. Many issues therefore require further clarification. For example, were the police officers’ actions disproportionate? Did the state authorities abuse their power? Who exactly handed down the order for the forced eviction of the protesters?
It is a national shame that the police confronted unarmed protesters with such brutal force. If the court finds that the allegations made against the premier constitute a valid case, that would be an important milestone in the nation’s democratic development.
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