Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman candidate Steve Chan (詹啟賢) yesterday published a series of slides to answer some of the questions about the “319 shooting incident” involving former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), in a bid to fend off speculation within the party about his potential role in the incident.
“Exactly 13 years ago today, a significant incident occurred in Taiwan. Even 13 years later, people still ask me questions about it,” Chan wrote on Facebook, saying that his name has been associated with the shooting although he was not the one who pulled the trigger.
The 319 shooting incident refers to an alleged assassination attempt against Chen and then-vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) in Tainan on March 19, 2004, one day before the presidential election.
Photo: CNA
A bullet grazed Chen’s stomach and left a 13cm wound, while another bullet hit Lu in the knee.
The incident sparked conspiracy theories, as Chen later won the election by less than 30,000 votes.
Although an investigation identified the gunman as Chen Yi-hsiung (陳義雄), a Tainan resident who apparently committed suicide shortly after the incident, some people question whether he was the shooter or if he acted alone.
Chan, the then-superintendent of Chi Mei Medical Center, whose Tainan branch treated Chen Shui-bian and Lu, is facing accuations that he might have covered up the incident’s details as the KMT’s May 20 chairperson election draws near.
Shrugging off questions about why the two Democratic Progressive Party candidates were not sent to a hospital closer to the crime scene for treatment, Chan said Chi Mei’s Tainan branch was the closest hospital by the time the doctor accompanying Chen Shui-bian examined his injuries.
“The choice was made after various traffic factors were considered to determine which hospital could be reached within the shortest time,” Chan said.
Chan also cited video recordings of Chen Shui-bian’s treatment to dismiss speculation that his injuries might have been fabricated, saying that he had no prior knowledge about the attack and that he was getting a haircut when Chen Shui-bian arrived at the hospital.
Regarding former KMT legislator Wang Chung-yu’s (王鍾渝) allegation that a nurse at the hospital was told to “stand by” a day before the attack, Chan said the claim was most likely a fabrication, as the hospital was unable to identify the nurse.
Although many questions remain unanswered, such as whether the shooting was authentic, whether Chen Shui-bian really sustained a bullet wound and whether the alleged shooter was murdered, one thing is certain: “Chi Mei Medical Center and I played no part in the attack,” Chan said.
“We provided nothing but professional medical service,” he added.
The government should improve children’s outdoor spaces and accelerate carbon reduction programs, as the risk of heat-related injury due to high summer temperatures rises each year, Greenpeace told a news conference yesterday. Greenpeace examined summer temperatures in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung to determine the effects of high temperatures and climate change on children’s outdoor activities, citing data garnered by China Medical University, which defines a wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of 29°C or higher as posing the risk of heat-related injury. According to the Central Weather Administration, WBGT, commonly referred to as the heat index, estimates
Taipei and other northern cities are to host air-raid drills from 1:30pm to 2pm tomorrow as part of urban resilience drills held alongside the Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan’s largest annual military exercises. Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan, Yilan County, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to hold the annual Wanan air defense exercise tomorrow, following similar drills held in central and southern Taiwan yesterday and today respectively. The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Maokong Gondola are to run as usual, although stations and passenger parking lots would have an “entry only, no exit” policy once air raid sirens sound, Taipei
Taipei placed 14th in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Best Student Cities 2026 list, its highest ever, according to results released yesterday. With an overall score of 89.1, the city climbed 12 places from the previous year, surpassing its previous best ranking of 17th in 2019. Taipei is “one of Asia’s leading higher-education hubs,” with strong employer activity scores and students “enjoying their experience of the city and often keen to stay after graduation,” a QS staff writer said. In addition to Taipei, Hsinchu (71st), Tainan (92nd), Taichung (113th) and Taoyuan (130th) also made QS’ list of the top 150 student cities. Hsinchu showed the
Environmental groups yesterday filed an appeal with the Executive Yuan, seeking to revoke the environmental impact assessment (EIA) conditionally approved in February for the Hsieh-ho Power Plant’s planned fourth liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving station off the coast of Keelung. The appeal was filed jointly by the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group, the Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association and the Keelung City Taiwan Head Cultural Association, which together held a news conference outside the Executive Yuan in Taipei. Explaining the reasons for the appeal, Wang Hsing-chih (王醒之) of the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group said that the EIA failed to address
RSS