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.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are