Accompanied by fellow members of political group Flanc Radical, Yen Ming-wei (顏銘緯), the college freshman who hurled a copy of Formosa Betrayed at President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) last month, reported to the police yesterday afternoon amid cheers of encouragement from supporters.
Police summoned Yen for questioning following two lawsuits filed separately against him, including one by the head of the Shilin military police station for allegedly obstructing officers, and another by a man surnamed Lee (李), who claimed the book hit his stomach.
Yen first gained attention after he mobilized a large number of students from southern Taiwan to join the Sunflower movement in Taipei earlier this year.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
He also made headlines when he threw a copy of Formosa Betrayed, a book written by former US diplomat George Kerr, at Ma.
Dressed in formal attire and accompanied by all five candidates nominated by Flanc Radical, Yen, director of Flanc Radical’s electoral campaign in Kaohsiung, staunchly defended his actions and accused the Ma administration of “judicial prosecution.”
“People have condemned throwing a book as an act of violence. However, the Ma administration still holds in its hands the power of state violence,” Yen said. “For me to throw a book is like hitting a stone with an egg. How can this be an act of violence?”
Yen said that in his view, Ma was the one enacting violence on Taiwanese by aggressively pursuing stronger ties with China.
Yen also urged the public not to dismiss him as a child, saying: “My student status is only a sideline, as I am first and foremost the director of Flanc Radical’s electoral campaign.”
Nearly a dozen members of the pro-independence Taiwan National Congress (TNC) waited in front of the office in support of Yen before his arrival, wielding large black flags attached to flagpoles more than two stories tall.
One supporter, TNC member Lin Xin-kai (林新凱), said the group rallied to offer their support to Yen and Flanc Radical, saying that the groups shared similar goals.
Other groups also showed up to express their support, including the Alliance of Referendum for Taiwan and Taiwan Youth Against Communism.
Before entering the police office for questioning, Yen led his supporters in chanting: “Without the fall of the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT], Taiwan will never get better.”
As Yen was speaking to reporters and his supporters, a man who was apparently against Yen’s views interrupted loudly and accused him of promoting violence, before being pulled aside.
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