Psychiatrist Su Wei-shuo (蘇偉碩), who opposes the government’s decision to allow imports of US pork containing ractopmaine residues, delivered a petition to the Control Yuan in Taipei yesterday that said he has been persecuted and is seeking protection.
Su said that he is facing “political persecution” and “human rights violations” after the Ministry of Health and Welfare filed a judicial complaint against him.
The 51-year-old has been summoned by the Kaohsiung Police Department’s Sanmin Second Precinct, which asked him to report to the precinct over comments he made about ractopamine following the ministry’s report, which accused him of spreading false rumors about food safety in contravention of Article 46-1 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法).
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
“Free speech should not just protect people and officials in high positions,” said Su, who was accompanied by lawyers from the Chinese Association for Human Rights.
“We see government officials making blunders and not taking responsibility, but when ordinary folk say something, it is examined with a microscope,” he said.
Health authorities had threatened him with prosecution over his public warnings of detrimental effects on human health from ractopamine.
“This is violation of human rights. The health authorities want to instill fear in people,” he said. “I am being persecuted because the government does not like the issues I have raised.”
Health officials said that Su had fabricated his claims and potentially caused panic in society with statements like: “The toxic effect of ractopamine is 250 times that of an ecstasy pill,” “Eating meat with ractopamine residues can cause autism and mental health illnesses,” and when meat with ractopamine residues is imported, “the entire ecosystem will be filled with ractopamine, even the air, so people will inhale it.”
Su on Monday retracted his statement about ractopamine’s toxicity, saying that he had misunderstood a scientific paper on the subject.
His understanding is that ractopamine is one-quarter as toxic as ecstasy, he said.
Separately yesterday, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Mark Ho (何志偉) said that “it was repugnant for Su to grandstand” at the Control Yuan.
“He should stop these tactics, which waste government resources and everyone’s time,” Ho said.
“He can move about freely and speak freely. What immediate persecution does he face?” Control Yuan President Chen Chu (陳菊) asked.
“Taiwan is a democratic society that has diverse viewpoints,” she said. “We respect his right to petition his case and it will be taken up according to the Control Yuan’s normal procedures. Every case is handled earnestly and with prudence.”
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