Independent Taipei mayoral candidate Neil Peng (馮光遠) began a 20-day jail term yesterday, after he was sentenced for calling former Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) minister Emile Sheng (盛治仁) “a scum public servant” and, in protest, declined to pay a fine.
Escorted by a crowd of supporters and friends and with a smile on his face, the screenwriter and author reported to an annex office of the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office before he was handcuffed and sent to a correctional facility to serve his time.
“Since 1989, I have been a political commentator, and I had never been sued for my critiques of officials until 2008, when President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and National Security Council Secretary-General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) took office,” Peng told reporters before entering the prosecutors’ office.
Photo courtesy of Neil Peng’s campaign office
“Obviously, these people are trying to silence voices of opposition through legal maneuvers, but I want to tell them that Taiwan’s democracy will not be so easily repressed,” he added.
Peng was sued by Sheng in 2012 over an article criticizing the then-Council for Cultural Affairs minister as a “scum public servant” after Sheng refused to publicize detailed budget information for a government-sponsored musical performance that cost NT$230 million (US$7.55 million at current exchange rates) of the taxpayers’ money in just two nights.
Although Peng could have avoided serving jail time by paying a fine, he declined to do so, saying that he would rather be behind bars than pay the government, as he did not think he had done anything wrong.
He said that he has the right to describe an official as “scum” given Sheng’s actions and added that it is ridiculous that a citizen should be jailed for criticizing an official who had “performed poorly.”
“Compared to Cheng Nan-jung (鄭南榕), who self-immolated [in 1989] for the freedom of speech, the 20-day prison time is really nothing,” he said.
Yen Ming-wei (顏銘緯), a political activist and friend of Peng who gained notoriety after throwing a book at Ma in protest last week, gave six books — including one entitled Wish You Were Here — to Peng to read while detained.
“I am sure I will have a lot of time to read in prison,” Peng said while looking at the books. “However, I would like to tell Sheng: ‘I wish you were here.’”
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS