Supporters of a motion initiated by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) to allow police to use pepper spray sought to distance themselves from the proposal following news reports showing Hong Kong police using it to disperse pro-democracy demonstrators.
On Sunday, the territory’s riot police fired volleys of tear gas and pepper spray at a crowd protesting Beijing’s decision to limit political reform in the global financial hub. The demonstrators tried to protect themselves by improvising, using cling wrap to cover their faces and arms, as well as umbrellas, goggles, plastic bottles and surgical masks.
Wu said he initiated the motion on Sept. 16, adding that it was not related to the Hong Kong protests.
Wu added that the proposal was meant to help Taiwanese police handle civil unrest by clearing them of administrative responsibility if they used pepper spray.
The proposal was cosponsored by KMT legislators Chan Kai-chen (詹凱臣) and Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩), and signed by several KMT and independent lawmakers, including Chiu Wen-yen (邱文彥), Chen Hsueh-sheng (陳雪生), Chiang Hui-chen (江惠貞), Alicia Wang (王育敏), Wu Yu-jen (吳育仁), Lee Guei-min (李貴敏), Chiang Nai-hsin (蔣乃辛), Chen Chen-hsiang (陳鎮湘), Chen Pi-han (陳碧涵) and May Chin (高金素梅).
The motion did not pass due to a lack of support from other lawmakers.
Commenting on the proposed motion on Monday, Chiu said he did not agree with using more aggressive methods to handle conflict, adding that pepper spray could affect human health.
Chen Pi-han said she initially agreed with Wu Yu-sheng’s proposal as a way to help police disperse protesters.
However, she had a change of heart, she said.
“The matter [use of pepper spray] merits more consideration in light of the Hong Kong protests,” the lawmaker said.
Chiang Nai-hsin said he had not made a final decision on the issue, but he signed the motion for it to be forwarded to the legislature for debate.
Several other lawmakers declined to comment.
Black Island National Youth Front spokesperson Lai Yu-fen (賴郁棻) said that Taiwanese police are already allowed to use tear gas, batons and water cannons, and while these devices were little used in the past, they have been more common since the emergence of the Sunflower movement earlier this year.
“Giving police more tools to suppress the people would only make the police more brutal,” Lai said.
If the government wants to protect police officers, it should buy more shields for them, he said.
Academia Sinica researcher Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said that there must be clear legal regulations stating what kind of equipment police are allowed to use under what circumstances to prevent abuse of power.
Responding to questions by lawmakers, Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) said the government has no plans to equip police with pepper spray.
The police have sufficient gear for now, he said.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
Passengers on Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) will be required to use headphones and make phone calls in gangways under new “quiet travel” rules starting Sept. 22. THSR Chairman Shih Che (史哲) told media that THSR will run a three-month promotional campaign to ensure widespread adoption of the new rules. Those repeatedly ignoring the guidance face the potential termination of their transport contract, which can result in them getting escorted off the train, according to THSR. Shih shared his hope to cultivate an environment conducive to rest and reading for the train’s passengers, stating that these changes aim to “promote self-discipline” among passengers