Citizen 1985, a rights group that was set up to lodge protests with the Ministry of National Defense over the death of army corporal Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘), yesterday voiced disappointment after 13 of the 18 indicted military officials were sentenced to less than a year in jail.
The major defendants in the high-profile case were found guilty of abusing their power in restricting Hung’s personal freedom and were given sentences ranging from three to eight months in prison.
Citizen 1985 spokesman Wang Hsi (王希) said the ruling was contrary to what the public expected and a majority found it “unacceptable.”
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
“We had hoped the judicial system could settle who was responsible, and to what extent they should be held responsible for the death of a life,” Wang said. “I believe every citizen knows the answer to the question of whether they find the ruling acceptable.”
Netizens also weighed in on the ruling, with some voicing their disagreement and saying they plan to launch another mass demonstration.
“I’m not a legal expert. Everyone, including myself, must abide by the rule of the law. If the maximum sentence for manslaughter is only six months, then no amount of public rage can change that sentence, short of a legal amendment. To say otherwise is to invite tyranny of the masses,” Giddens Ko (柯景騰) wrote on Facebook.
“People mistreating animals receive a heavier sentence. It is evident that the life of a man is worth less than that of an animal,” a netizen named Chen Yeh-cheng (陳業程) said.
On the other hand, netizen Lin Tsung-hsi (林宗熙) said the Hung family had managed to attract society’s attention to the issue and should know when to draw the line.
In the legislature, Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) was asked by lawmakers about his opinion on the ruling. Jiang said he respected any court decision, but he would ask the Ministry of Justice to carefully review the statement of the ruling and decide whether to file an appeal with a higher court.
The Ministry of National Defense also said it respected the ruling.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純) said the ruling fell far short of public expectations and demanded that Jiang and Minister of Justice Luo Ying-shay (羅瑩雪) promise that prosecutors would appeal the case.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Tsai Chin-Lung (蔡錦隆) asked Jiang to convey his concerns to the Hung family and let them know the government would provide them with any assistance they need.
Additional reporting by Yu Rui-jen and Chen Yen-ting
Auckland rang in 2026 with a downtown fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, making it the first major city to greet the new year at a celebration dampened by rain, while crowds in Taipei braved the elements to watch Taipei 101’s display. South Pacific countries are the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks struck midnight in Auckland, with a population of 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball was to drop in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from the 240m Sky Tower. Smaller community events were canceled across New Zealand’s
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
UNRELENTING: China attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure 2.63 million times per day last year, up from 1.23 million in 2023, the NSB said China’s cyberarmy has long engaged in cyberattacks against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, employing diverse and evolving tactics, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday, adding that cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure last year increased 10-fold compared with the previous year. The NSB yesterday released a report titled Analysis on China’s Cyber Threats to Taiwan’s Critical Infrastructure in 2025, outlining the number of cyberattacks, major tactics and hacker groups. Taiwan’s national intelligence community identified a large number of cybersecurity incidents last year, the bureau said in a statement. China’s cyberarmy last year launched an average of 2.63 million intrusion attempts per day targeting Taiwan’s critical
RSS