More than 6,000 people have signed up on a Facebook page to take part in a protest aimed at seeking justice in the death of corporal Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘).
As of 5pm yesterday, the page had attracted 6,372 people who said they would join the demonstration.
The protest will be staged in front of the Ministry of National Defense on Saturday, according to a rights group called Citizen 1985, which set up the page.
The group has begun selling “justice stickers” to help collect funds and raise awareness of soldiers’ rights and has invited Hung’s family to attend a memorial ceremony at the 228 Peace Memorial Park in Taipei after the demonstration.
Hung died on July 4 after taking part in a training exercise in extreme heat and humidity. Preliminary investigations show he died from head exhaustion. He had been released from confinement just hours early after being punished for returning to base from vaction with a smartphone with a camera.
Thirty-seven army officers are facing court martial or other disciplinary measures over Hung’s death.
Citizen 1985 said uncovering the truth in the case is the least that the ministry should do. As long as unspoken rules and a corrupt system exist, there will always be another Hung, the group said.
Citizen 1985 was set up by a former military doctor to encourage people on social Web sites to lodge protests with the ministry over Hung’s case. It has also set up a Web page to allow former military personnel to file anonymous complaints.
Meanwhile, Tsai Ke-shi (蔡克斯), a Hungkuang University student, has donated 20 round-trip Greater Taichung to Taipei bus tickets to encourage people to join the protest over the death of Hung, a Taichung native.
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