Shih Ming-teh (
Before appearing in the Taipei District Court yesterday afternoon, Shih told reporters that he would serve jail time immediately if the court were to convict him of violating the Assembly and Parade Law (集會遊行法).
However, he said that the 15 campaign organizers, who were also indicted for violating the law, would continue to push for the abolition of the "unconstitutional" and "flawed" law.
PHOTO: CNA
Taipei prosecutors indicted Shih and 15 campaign organizers on Aug. 3 for staging a rally outside Taipei Railway Station and "laying siege" to the Presidential Office on Oct. 10 last year without first applying for a permit from the Taipei City Police Department.
Prosecutors said the police had put up warning signs and broadcasted requests for the protesters to leave, but they refused to move.
Among those indicted with Shih were Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Kuo Su-chun (郭素春), People First Party Legislator Shen Chih-hwei (沈智慧), former KMT legislator and Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs Director Lee Yong-ping (李永萍), Taipei City Research & Development Evaluation Commissioner Emile Sheng (盛治仁) and New Party Taipei City Councilor Lee Hsin (李新).
Nine others were named in the indictment: Chien Hsi-chieh, Liu Kun-li (
Shih also lashed out at the DPP yesterday, saying the party "might have forgotten that the party also opposed the law in the past."
"Taiwanese have suffered under Martial law and the Assembly and Parade Law during our pursuit of democracy and freedom," Shih said, criticizing the DPP for exploiting the law to bring him to trial.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS