Four patients of Taipei's Lungfatang (龍發堂) psychiatric care hospital, who fled the facility, convened a press conference to accuse authorities at the facility of physical abuse.
Accompanied by psychiatrists and legislators, one of the former patients said they risked their life to escape the Buddhist-run asylum in the hopes that no more patients will be sent to what they called the "black jail."
"Some of us are stripped and tied to our beds with iron chains in the so-called `stockade' (
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Another patient claimed the asylum charges each patient's family NT$2.5 million, and asked the families to purchase statues of Buddha for NT$300,000 each or even sedan chairs for transporting gods that cost NT$500,000.
"Young female patients are summoned by the abbot, Shih Kai -fong (
"Mental patients have the right to be treated humanely," said legislator Wang Hsueh-fong (
Legislator Yu Cheng-tao (
In response, Master Hsinhsien (
Officials in charge of the facility have not yet responded publicly to the accusations, but Yu said Lungfatang officials plan to call a press conference today to answer the allegations.
An official at the Department of Health said yesterday that current laws are not able to regulate the facility, because the law only regulates medical organizations, while Lungfatang is a run as a religious institution.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Chinese fishing boats transmitting fake identification signals are meant to test Taiwan’s responses to different kinds of perceived incursions, a report said Chinese vessels are transmitting fake signals in Taiwan’s waters as a form of cognitive warfare, testing Taipei’s responses to various types of incursions, a report by the Institute for the Study of War said on Friday. Several Chinese fishing vessels transmitted fake automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan’s waters last month, with one mimicking a Russian warship and another impersonating a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report said. Citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the report said that throughout August and last month, the Chinese fishing boat Minshiyu 06718 (閩獅漁06718) sailed through the Taiwan Strait while intermittently transmitting its own AIS
CHINESE INFILTRATION: Medical logistics is a lifeline during wartime and the reported CCP links of a major logistics company present a national security threat, an expert said The government would bolster its security check system to prevent China from infiltrating the nation’s medical cold chain, a national security official said yesterday. The official, who wished to stay anonymous, made the remarks after the Chinese-language magazine Mirror Media (鏡周刊) reported that Pharma Logistics (嘉里醫藥物流) is in charge of the medical logistics of about half of the nation’s major hospitals, including National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The company’s parent, Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流), is associated with the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the
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