Accompanied by several dozen former Hualon Corp workers, Hualon Self-Help Organization president Lee Tsui-ming (李翠明) came to the Taipei District Court for an inquiry session yesterday, over charges of violating the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) during a demonstration in January.
The workers retired from the bankrupt textiles manufacturer about a decade ago and are claiming an average of NT$1 million (US$33,000) each in unpaid pensions, after a court auction of Hualon’s assets in August provided them with less than NT$3,000 each in compensation.
Lee was summoned for leading an unauthorized demonstration in front of the Presidential Office Building on Jan. 27.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
She said the court did not notify her about any illegal behavior until last week, right before another surprise demonstration at the same location, which she said prompted speculation on the government’s judicial influence.
“We launched that [first] demonstration right before the Lunar New Year, because we really did not have any money left to celebrate the holidays,” Lee said. “We were forced to take to the streets for our pensions.”
Clad in signature yellow cloaks with the word “anger” written across their chests, the workers carried a large banner reading: “[The government is] slow as a turtle in providing compensation, while abusive in judicial prosecution.”
Human rights lawyers Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) and Tseng Wei-kai (曾威凱), both volunteering their services for the Hualon case, condemned the court’s use of the Assembly and Parade Act, which they see as a violation of the workers’ rights.
“It always makes me sad to defend social activists, when the court should really be going after murderers or arsonists,” Chiu said.
Chiu also stated his support for the workers’ compensation: “If all the money from the Hualon auctions goes to the banks instead of the workers, I think Taiwanese society will never forgive our judicial system.”
With a pre-approval system that requires organizers to obtain permits from local authorities before rallies or protests, the Assembly and Parade Act has often been described as “a relic from the Martial Law era” by human rights advocates, with many campaigning for its abolition.
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