Control Yuan member Chien Lin Hui-chun (錢林慧君) yesterday said she would halt her investigation into the forcible removal of students occupying the Executive Yuan on March 24 because her term is coming to a close, but she also criticized the National Police Agency (NPA) for its lack of help.
The Executive Yuan occupation, led by student leader Dennis Wei (魏揚) and others, was a spinoff of the Sunflower movement that occupied the Legislative Yuan’s main chamber from March 18 to April 10 to protest the government’s handling of the cross-strait service trade agreement.
Student groups petitioned the Control Yuan in April to investigate what they said was excessive use of force by police in removing protesters from the Executive Yuan. They also called for the impeachment of Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) and National Police Agency Director-General Wang Cho-chiun (王卓鈞) over the incident. Chien Lin volunteered to investigate.
She said that while it appeared the police agency’s removal of students had violated the principle of proportionality, she wanted to gather more information.
Chien Lin said she met with Ministry of the Interior Deputy Minister Chiu Chang-yueh (邱昌嶽), NPA Deputy Director-General Tsai Chun-chang (蔡俊章), Taipei City Police Department Chief Huang Sheng-yung (黃昇永), Taipei’s Zhongzheng District First Police Precinct Chief Fang Yang-ning (方仰寧) and others to clarify the situation.
All of the NPA officials she talked with said the protesters had been removed “in accordance with the law” and there was no question of illegal removal or any violations of the principle of proportionality, Chien Lin said.
However, when she asked for the video recordings of the evacuation process and the list of civilians and police officers injured during the incident, the police told her the material had been given to prosecutors who were investigating the case.
The police claimed they could not divulge information about an ongoing investigation, Chien Lin said, adding that she had requested the police provide her proof from the Taipei Prosecutors’ Office that it had the material.
Chien Lin said she received official notice from the prosecutors’ office stating they were using the material as basis for ongoing investigation and could not provide the materials for her to review.
Hher investigation had to end because of a lack of evidence, Chien Lin said. However, she said she felt the police had been evasive and unprofessional and their behavior could be improved upon.
The US government has signed defense cooperation agreements with Japan and the Philippines to boost the deterrence capabilities of countries in the first island chain, a report by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The main countries on the first island chain include the two nations and Taiwan. The bureau is to present the report at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee tomorrow. The US military has deployed Typhon missile systems to Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture and Zambales province in the Philippines during their joint military exercises. It has also installed NMESIS anti-ship systems in Japan’s Okinawa
‘WIN-WIN’: The Philippines, and central and eastern European countries are important potential drone cooperation partners, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) in an interview published yesterday confirmed that there are joint ventures between Taiwan and Poland in the drone industry. Lin made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper). The government-backed Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance and the Polish Chamber of Unmanned Systems on Wednesday last week signed a memorandum of understanding in Poland to develop a “non-China” supply chain for drones and work together on key technologies. Asked if Taiwan prioritized Poland among central and eastern European countries in drone collaboration, Lin
ON ALERT: Taiwan’s partners would issue warnings if China attempted to use Interpol to target Taiwanese, and the global body has mechanisms to prevent it, an official said China has stationed two to four people specializing in Taiwan affairs at its embassies in several democratic countries to monitor and harass Taiwanese, actions that the host nations would not tolerate, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said yesterday. Tsai made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, which asked him and Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) to report on potential conflicts in the Taiwan Strait and military preparedness. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) expressed concern that Beijing has posted personnel from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office to its
BACK TO WORK? Prosecutors said they are considering filing an appeal, while the Hsinchu City Government said it has applied for Ann Kao’s reinstatement as mayor The High Court yesterday found suspended Hsinchu mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) not guilty of embezzling assistant fees, reducing her sentence to six months in prison commutable to a fine from seven years and four months. The verdict acquitted Kao of the corruption charge, but found her guilty of causing a public official to commit document forgery. The High Prosecutors’ Office said it is reviewing the ruling and considering whether to file an appeal. The Taipei District Court in July last year sentenced Kao to seven years and four months in prison, along with a four-year deprivation of civil rights, for contravening the Anti-Corruption
RSS