Family members of Liu Po-yan (劉柏煙), 80, who set himself on fire in a protest at Liberty Square in Taipei last Tuesday, said they could not afford the expensive treatment he needs and appealed to the public for donations.
Liu sustained second and third-degree burns over more than 80 percent of his body. He was in stable condition at National Taiwan University Hospital yesterday.
Liu’s protest was aimed at what he called the government’s affront to national dignity during the visit by China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林).
Born and raised in Nantou County, Liu had been a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) for 58 years.
His son Liu Feng-long (劉豐隆) said that while his father had sustained serious injuries in his self-immolation protest, he could not receive adequate doses of anesthesia because he suffered from low blood pressure, leaving him in excruciating pain.
Since Liu Po-yan was taken to the hospital, he has twice undergone surgery, costing a total of NT$110,000, Liu Feng-long said.
Although Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators and private individuals have donated NT$100,000 to help pay for Liu Po-yan’s treatment, Liu Feng-long said the family needed to reach out to the public for donations to help pay for further treatment.
Donations can be made by postal service wire transfer, and should include a note that the donation is for Liu Po-yan. Money can be paid into the account of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights (社團法人台灣人權促進會), account number 19066111.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
Snow fell on Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning as a continental cold air mass sent temperatures below freezing on Taiwan’s tallest peak, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Snowflakes were seen on Yushan’s north peak from 6:28am to 6:38am, but they did not fully cover the ground and no accumulation was recorded, the CWA said. As of 7:42am, the lowest temperature recorded across Taiwan was minus-5.5°C at Yushan’s Fengkou observatory and minus-4.7°C at the Yushan observatory, CWA data showed. On Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County, a low of 1.3°C was recorded at 6:39pm, when ice pellets fell at Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓), a
NO SHAME IN RETREAT: Hikers should consider turning back if the weather turns bad or if they do not have sufficient equipment, the Taroko park headquarters said Two people died of hypothermia over the weekend while hiking on Hsuehshan (雪山), prompting park authorities to remind hikers to bring proper equipment and consider their physical condition before setting out in the cold weather. Temperatures dropped over the weekend, bringing snow to high altitudes in Shei-pa National Park. One hiker, surnamed Lin (林), who on Friday was traveling with a group of six along the Hsuehshan west ridge trail, lost consciousness due to hypothermia and died, the Shei-pa National Park Headquarters said. On Saturday, another hiker, surnamed Tien (田), in a group of five on the southeast of the west
RSS