The police chief who arrested three journalists on Thursday night will not be punished, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday.
The journalists were arrested along with student activists and charged with trespassing on the Ministry of Education’s grounds, with police officers temporarily confiscating their mobile phones and cameras.
“I view this as an unexpected situation and am prepared to shoulder the responsibility myself because there were no clear rules to follow,” said Ko, adding that it would be unfair to for Zhongzheng First Precinct Police Chief Chang Chi-wen (張奇文) to take the blame for the journalists’ arrest.
Photo: CNA
Late on Friday, Ko apologized in a media release for what he said was the police department’s “infringement on press freedom.”
During the incident, the police department was not able to follow his administration’s standard operating procedure for dealing with journalists during protests, which call for an on-site police officer to be appointed as a point man for press relations, he said.
Ko said the reporters should not have been arrested, while avoiding questions on whether they had a right to be in the building. Reporters and police officers have different responsibilities which need to be harmonized, he said.
He said the police department would review procedures for dealing with similar incidents in the future, adding that he would also work with the National Police Agency to clarify the chain of command during future protests.
The Taipei mayor shares command of the city’s police department with the agency.
“While I did not issue the order [to arrest the reporters], I do not know who was behind it and I do not dare to guess,” Ko said.
At one point, Ko called Minister of Education Wu Se-hwa (吳思華) a “hired thug,” who was obligated to press charges but later added that he had misspoken.
He said that he “did not really approve” of the students breaking in to the ministry building, but added that “when the nation is abnormal, it is difficult for every person to act normally.”
In Friday’s media release, he had said the students’ “bravery” was “praiseworthy.”
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS