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Self-immolating protester remains in critical condition

“I saw many police officers beating people.”

— Liu Po-yan

An 80-year-old man, Liu Po-yan (劉柏煙), who sustained second and third degree burns over more than 80 percent of his body on Tuesday after setting himself on fire in a protest at Liberty Square was still in critical condition in National Taiwan University Hospital’s intensive care unit yesterday, hospital officials said.

“Liu has gone through a series of debridement surgeries, one of which occurred [yesterday],” the hospital told the Taipei Times.

The hospital said that there was no word on when Liu’s life would be out of danger, adding that skin transplant surgery would be scheduled soon.

Liu on Tuesday staged the demonstration by pouring gasoline and burning himself in protest at the government’s affront to national dignity during the visit last week by Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林).

In a suicide note, Liu claimed that he had been a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) for some 30 years and expressed dismay toward the government’s handling of Chen’s visit.

“I saw pedestrians walking on the street holding the national flag and getting arrested by the police, who even broke the flag pole. I saw many police officers beating people without consequences. I hear that sixteen ordinary people have been arrested and will be indicted. If so, are the thousands of police who hit people going to be given citations of merit?” the note said.

“When Chen [Yunlin] met the president, he pointed at the president and said, ‘you, you, you.’ I see that the president smiled and was very happy … If China sends an even higher ranking official, would the president kneel to receive him?” the note said.
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