National Taiwan University student Hung Chung-yen (洪崇晏) was arrested and handcuffed by police yesterday after he showed up for a protest in front of Zhongzheng First Precinct in Taipei.
Hung was taken to the Taipei City Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division and in the evening was sent to the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for further investigation.
According to the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, a warrant for Hung’s arrest was issued on Friday after he failed to answer several summonses for questioning about his involvement in a protest at the Zhongzheng First Precinct building on April 11.
Photo: CNA
Hung was released without bail later last night.
Earlier yesterday, a group of protesters angry at the precinct for seizing a loudspeaker and sound system belonging to the Alliance of Referendum for Taiwan at an anti-nuclear energy rally on April 28 demonstrated in front of the police station and asked the bureau to return the items.
Shortly after the demonstration in which Hung also took part ended, at about noon, two officers from the Taipei Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division arrested Hung at the intersection of Guanquian Road and Hankou Street.
The officers also confiscated Hung’s cellphone after he informed his family about his arrest.
Later yesterday, the Taiwan Association for Human Rights issued a statement accusing police of violating human rights when they arrested Hung without identifying themselves as police officers.
The statement said that the many recent demonstrations on the streets of Taipei had been caused by the arrogance and incompetence of the government.
Instead of reflecting on what it has done wrong, President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration is continually flouting the rule of law and completely disregards people’s rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, the statement said.
“The police’s unannounced arrest of a student with no criminal record was mafia-like, and is a severe blow to Taiwan’s human rights and rule of law,” it said.
In addition to conveying concern for Hung’s personal safety, the association called on the Taipei City Police Department to remember its responsibility to uphold Hung’s legal rights, including ensuring is not tortured and has a lawyer present during questioning.
If his rights are not upheld, the association said it would rectify the situation using every means at its disposal.
The government should desist from violating human rights and overstepping legal boundaries, the association added, saying that such actions only contributed to conflict, leading society further from rational dialogue and democratic solutions.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS