As expected, fingers were pointed and the public took sides after last week’s police shooting of a “runaway” Vietnamese migrant worker, who reportedly resisted arrest, threw rocks at the police, injured a police officer and tried to steal a patrol car.
The police officer, whose baton was broken in the fracas, might have used excessive force — firing nine shots directly at a naked suspect armed just with rocks — but some argue that if the man got away with the car into residential areas he might have injured more people.
The police claimed not to have been able to subdue him with batons or pepper spray.
It is always a gray area with police use of force, and past cases continue to spark debate.
In 2015, a police officer was sentenced to six months in prison (commutable to a fine of NT$180,000) for shooting an escaping car thief in the leg three times.
The suspect bled to death.
The debate was over whether the officer believed that the suspect planned to attack him, and whether he intentionally or accidentally caused the death.
Reaction to the officer’s actions in that case appeared to be mostly positive and the Taoyuan City Government picked up the tab for the officer’s fine, while many condemned the judge’s decision, saying that it would lead to low police morale and cause officers to become hesitant to shoot when necessary.
The usual debate ensued in the migrant’s case, with some supporting the police and others denouncing them, but it seems to have received a different level of attention because of the racial element, which has brought a different level of scrutiny of those involved.
On Monday, Vietnamese migrant workers and labor rights campaigners protested in front of the National Police Agency in Taipei, calling for the release of dashboard camera footage and also maintaining that this would not have happened had the suspect been Taiwanese or “Caucasian.”
The Hsinchu Police Department denies any racial motives, but the case again brought attention to the discrimination and mistreatment migrant workers are subjected to.
People jumping to conclusions should ask themselves why this man, who was allegedly naked, was so desperate?
During the protest, a Vietnamese worker spoke to the Central News Agency about the high brokerage fees, long hours, low wages and dangerous conditions that cause many migrant workers to abscond, preferring to work illegally.
Another Vietnamese worker spoke of his fear of the police, who he said have stopped him without reason several times and asked him for his resident certificate.
He asked to be treated fairly and with respect.
Whether race was a factor in the case, the discrimination against and mistreatment of migrant workers is reaching boiling point.
Too little is being done to address their grievances.
The government needs to do its part, but the attitude of Taiwanese employers and the public needs to change.
It does seem odd that a police officer and two civil defense personnel were not able to subdue an unarmed man, resorting to firing that many shots.
A Taiwan Police Union member addressed this issue in a letter to the Apple Daily, citing the inadequacy of police equipment, as batons are not supposed to break so easily. The author also questioned the quality of the pepper spray used, as the suspect was able to wash his eyes in a stream and immediately start throwing rocks at the police officer.
The lack of police resources and mistreatment of migrant workers are two areas that should be looked at to decrease the chances of such a tragedy happening again.
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