Senior politicians rubbed shoulders with mob bosses at the funeral yesterday of one of the nation’s most prominent gang leaders.
The Buddhist service for Lee Chao-hsiung (李照雄), who died of liver cancer last month, was expected to attract a gathering of up to 20,000 people in Taichung, organizers said.
Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) was among the mourners, saying his attendance was a sign of gratitude after Lee left NT$60 million (US$2 million) for charities in his will.
PHOTO: CNA
“I felt I had to come to express my thanks,” Hu told reporters. “When the man left this world, he used this way to show his concern for society.”
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) also attended the service.
Taiwan’s three main criminal organizations — the Bamboo Union, the Four Seas Triad and the Celestial Way — also sent representatives to Lee’s funeral, who was the head of the Big Lake gang.
Members of Japanese gangs, dressed in black suits, were also among the guests. Gangsters from Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and Thailand completed the picture of a who’s who of organized crime in Asia.
Dozens of police officers were stationed near the funeral venue, many equipped with walkie-talkies and cameras.
“We’re here to maintain order and to collect information,” said one policeman, declining to give his name.
Lee was best known for helping to negotiate the release of a number of kidnapped politicians and businessmen, including Taichung City Council Speaker Chang Hung-nien (張宏年).
Police have declined to comment on Lee’s criminal record, but a source who has followed his career closely, and asked not to be identified, said Lee spent time in jail on charges of gambling and firearms smuggling.
LIABILITIES MULLED: New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi said Taipei would find out if the firm was legally registered, the guide was licensed and the weather was assessed The assets of Tian Da Local Nature Co are to be frozen after at least four people died after falling into the Beishi River (北勢溪) on an outing the company had organized on Saturday, the Taipei City Government said yesterday. Six people — two adults and four children — were washed away by a flash flood on the river in New Taipei City’s Hubaotan (虎豹潭) area. They were participating in a Nature Joy Camp outdoor activity with a group of 16 adults and 15 children led by a guide surnamed Su (蘇). As of 4:30pm yesterday, four of the missing had been
The US 7th Fleet yesterday confirmed that a US Navy ship transited the Taiwan Strait on Thursday and Friday. “The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Dewey [DDG 105] conducted a Taiwan Strait transit in cooperation with Royal Canadian Navy [RCN] Halifax-class frigate, HMCS Winnipeg, October 14-15, 2021,” the US 7th Fleet said in a statement. “Dewey’s and Winnipeg’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Cooperation like this represents the centerpiece of our approach to a secure and prosperous region,” it added. The transit marked the
‘COUNTERPRODUCTIVE’: The German, French and Singaporean missions said that Taiwan’s COVID-19 restrictions are hindering local projects and business operations Several foreign missions in Taiwan have urged the government to ease its strict COVID-19 border controls, which they say are hurting in-person exchanges and business operations. The missions made the appeal in response to media inquiries on how the border controls have affected their respective countries’ exchanges with Taiwan, amid growing concerns voiced privately by Taiwan-based foreign offices and businesses regarding the restrictions. Taiwan has maintained strict entry requirements since March last year, generally prohibiting most arrivals except for citizens and foreign residents, while it has required those who enter the country to undergo a stringent 14-day quarantine. Although the rules have been
PROTECTION: The Ministry of Health and Welfare is aiming for a full vaccination rate of 30 percent, and allowing mixed first and second doses to boost coverage rates Whether Taiwan reopens its borders would depend on the nation’s vaccination coverage rate and the COVID-19 situation in other countries, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is aiming for a 70 percent first-dose vaccination coverage and 30 percent two-dose coverage as part of its consideration, Shih told a media briefing following the weekly Cabinet meeting. In spite of a relatively stable COVID-19 situation in Taiwan, and calls from foreign missions and businesses in the country to allow more international travelers, the government is maintaining strict border control measures. Since March last year,
RSS