A man who in March attacked the Ministry of Digital Affairs headquarters in Taipei to protest government policies on Chinese tourism was yesterday sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison.
The Taipei District Court also ordered the defendant, surnamed Chang (張), to pay an NT$80,000 (US$2,454) fine, as well as a compensation of NT$100,000 to the ministry over the attack, which damaged several potted plants, windows and signboards.
Chang on March 28 walked into ministry headquarters at about 8am carrying a shotgun and fired two shots into the lobby, prosecutors said.
Photo: CNA
He took the elevator to the second floor, but was blocked from entering the ministry’s main office space after staff closed a security door, they said.
Upon returning to the first floor, Chang fired a single shot into the building’s main entrance, causing a glass door to partially shatter, prosecutors said.
After dropping his weapon, Chang put his arms in the air and began shouting protest slogans as he awaited arrest, they said.
Chang, who ran a bed-and-breakfast in Nantou County’s Renai Township (仁愛), planned the attack as a means of drawing attention to government policies restricting Chinese tourism to Taiwan, they said.
On March 27, Chang contacted several relatives, friends and reporters to tell them of his intentions, and visited the ministry building to survey the area, they said.
Chang purchased a shotgun, a modified pistol and multiple rounds of ammunition from a man known as “Ali” (阿力) in Puli Township (埔里) for NT$270,000 in 2020, which he hid in one of the rooms in his bed-and-breakfast, they said.
In July, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chang for illegal possession of standard firearms and bullets, shooting in public places with standard guns and criminal intimidation of the public, in accordance with the Firearms, Ammunition, and Knives Control Act (槍砲彈藥刀械管制條例) and the Criminal Code.
Chang’s sentences are subject to appeal.
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