A former gang leader’s plan to ensure President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) safety in the face of the growing number of protests and to take action against the protesters serves as a warning that the Ma administration could resort to not only secret agents, but also gangsters to govern like the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) did in the past, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers said yesterday.
Chang An-le (張安樂), the head of the China Unification Promotion Party, yesterday said that he planned to establish an “action alliance” to support prosecutors amid the snowballing controversy over wiretapping practices, in particular wiretaps of the legislature, and did not rule out putting together a 2,000-member squadron to protect the president from protesters who have been shadowing the president at recent events.
Civic groups have said they will hold demonstrations in Wuci District (梧棲), Greater Taichung, where the KMT is scheduled to hold its national congress on Nov. 10.
“If [this] happened... If gangsters were used to contain social movements and students, I would say that it is a disgrace for a democracy like Taiwan,” DPP caucus director-general Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) told a press conference.
“Staging protests, including throwing shoes at the president, is a civil right protected by the Constitution,” Gao said.
Chang, also known as “White Wolf,” is a former leader of the Bamboo Union gang who was released on bail upon his return to Taiwan in June, 17 years after being listed on the nation’s most-wanted list and fleeing to China in 1996.
The gangster-turned-businessman and politician has been advocating peaceful unification and has been very vocal on domestic political issues, often taking a pro-KMT position.
With regards to the strong public outcry against the Special Prosecutors Division’s (SID) surveillance of the Legislative Yuan’s switchboard, Chang was quoted as saying on Sunday that the legislature would have become “the hotbed of crime” if the SID did not carry out the surveillance.
The SID’s practice and Chang’s plan appeared to suggest that Ma is willing to govern with the help ofsecret agents and thugs, Gao said.
“I thought the use of police force to crack down on protesters during the Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) incident was the furthest this administration would go. Now gangsters want to be involved in ‘maintaining social order,’” DPP Legislator Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡) said.
Wu was referring to an incident in which the police beat and arrested protesters in November 2008, when Chen, chairman of the Association of Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, visited Taipei.
“While gangsters enjoy freedom of expression like everyone else, they should not obstruct others’ freedom of expression,” DPP Legislator Wei Ming-ku (魏明谷) said.
PROCEDURE: Although there is already a cross-strait agreement in place for the extradition of criminals, ample notice is meant to be given to the other side first Ten Taiwanese who were involved in fraud-related crimes in China were extradited back to Taiwan via Kinmen County on Wednesday, four of whom are convicted fraudsters in Taiwan. The 10 people arrived via a ferry operating between Xiamen and Kinmen, also known as the “small three links.” The Kinmen County Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that four of the 10 extradited people were convicted in Taiwan for committing fraud and contravening the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), and were on the wanted list. They were immediately arrested upon arrival and sent to Kinmen Prison to serve their sentences following brief questioning, the office said.
Taipei and Kaohsiung have extended an open invitation to Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki after Chinese authorities abruptly canceled her scheduled concert in Shanghai. Hamasaki, 47, had been slated to perform on Saturday before organizers pulled the show at the last minute, citing “force majeure,” a move widely viewed as retaliation for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a military response from Tokyo. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday said the city “very much welcomes” Hamasaki’s return and would continue to “surprise” her. Hamasaki, who has a large global fan base, including
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
VIGILANT: Enterovirus activity remains in the epidemic phase, with the CDC urging caregivers of infected children to be on the lookout for signs of severe illness Influenza activity is rising in neighboring countries, and, with temperatures forecast to drop this week, flu cases are expected to increase in the next two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Hospitals reported 87,162 visits for flu-like illnesses between Nov. 23 and Saturday, which remained about the same level as the previous week, but nine deaths and 24 cases with serious flu complications were also confirmed last week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said. Flu activity reached a peak in late September before declining for eight consecutive weeks, CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠)
RSS