Presidential advisor Liu Hsia (
Liu had been in hospital for observation following the incident.
The 61-year-old wheelchair-bound Liu, who was also a well-known writer and advocate of the rights of the underprivileged, died of atrial flutter in the Tri-Service General Hospital at 4am.
"The [alleged beating] incident put too heavy a burden on her heart," said Chang De-ming (張德明), a doctor at the hospital.
Liu's family has decided not to file a lawsuit against the Indonesian caregiver, but the Taipei prosecutors' office has started an investigation of the case to see whether charges should be brought.
Liu's family decided to donate her body for medical research as Liu had wished.
President Chen Shui-bian (
The Indonesian caregiver, identified only by the name Vinarsih, is suspected of suffering from conversion disorder, a psychological affliction caused by severe emotional stress, which makes sufferers to be unable to distinguish between reality and imagination, according to a report from the Mackay Memorial Hospital (
Liu's mother said that Liu had been able to tell her that she had awoken to find herself being dragged from her bed by the caregiver Friday.
According to Taipei County police officials, Vinarsih told the police that she had dreamed of Liu's dead father three times, who told her to help Liu because there was an earthquake. Vinarsih said she tried to wake Liu and carry her to a safer place, but was adamant that she did not beat Liu.
After being told that Liu had died, Vinarsih expressed regret.
Prosecutors yesterday took Vinarsih to Liu's house for further investigation.
Liu Chun-lin (
Liu's younger brother, Liu Kan (
"My sister's death would be worthwhile if the government could set up a safety mechanism to ensure that we are not hiring a wolf, a tiger or a murderer," Liu said in the news conference held at the hospital yesterday morning.
Liu suffered from a rare disease called atrophic arthritis, which is related to rheumatoid arthritis.
The malady had destroyed the function of almost 90 percent of her joints. Despite being forced to lie down most of the time and to use a wheelchair to get around, Liu had written more than 1,000 inspirational short stories and articles under her pen name Xing Lin Tzu (
Surprised by Liu's death, friends and colleagues said that her spirit would be always in their hearts and minds.
"Despite her weak physical condition, her psychological condition was always tough. She was a model for this society," said Sun Yuieh (
The Council of Labor Affairs yesterday said that Vinarsih would be repatriated as she had violated regulations by attacking her employer.
Should Vinarsih she found guilty of murder or involuntary manslaughter, she would be repatriated after serving her prison term.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft