The High Court yesterday ordered the Taipei City Police Department to pay NT$1.41 million (US$50,708) in total compensation to 15 protesters injured during an occupation of the Executive Yuan complex in 2014.
Department officials said they respect the court’s decision, but expressed regret over the financial burden, saying the police officers were only doing their duty when they removed the Sunflower movement protesters from “illegally” occupying government premises.
The compensation was an increase from the first ruling by the Taipei District Court in 2019, when the department was ordered to pay NT$1.11 million to 10 protesters in a lawsuit filed by 29 people who said they suffered varying degrees of injuries due to the use of excessive force by police.
Photo: CNA
The 29 protesters, the police department and the Taipei City Government appealed the decision.
Among them was then-Taiwan Solidarity Union legislator Chou Ni-an (周倪安), who told reporters after the High Court’s verdict that she had gone to the Executive Yuan, in her capacity as a lawmaker, to protect the protesters.
The ruling cited testimony and evidence that police had used excessive force to evict the demonstrators, with 15 of the protesters presenting medical records showing bone fractures, bruises to the head and body, and other injuries.
Lawyers for the protesters presented video footage showing several police officers using shields and batons to beat them, as opposed to statements by top police officials that the officers had been “gentle” in removing the arm-locked sit-in protesters.
Chou said she had been awarded NT$200,000 in compensation in both rulings, while other protesters received between NT$60,000 and NT$120,000, but they are little compared with the mental anguish, physical pain and financial burden that they went through.
“It is not a satisfactory result, for our litigation to end in state compensation. The top officials who instructed police officers to beat us were not held liable and did not receive any punishment,” Chou said. “Some were even promoted.”
Lauding the ruling, the Judicial Reform Foundation said in a statement: “This ruling rejected the appeal by the police and the Taipei City Government, and upheld the main decisions of the district court... It represents victory, as justice has prevailed.”
“However, we regret to say that after nearly eight years, the judicial investigation failed to identify any of the police officers who had used excessive force to assault the protesters, and none of them received any punishment or were prosecuted,” it said.
“We believe this case can show that citizens have the right to gather to protest, in a collective will against government policies, which helps to safeguard Taiwan’s freedom and democracy... We hope that the result of the litigation serves as a warning to state authorities against abusing the public,” it said.
The police or city government cannot appeal the ruling, but the protesters can still launch an appeal for higher compensation.
Additional reporting by CNA
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist
RSS