Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 today amid outcry over his decision to wear a Nazi armband to questioning the night before.
Sung arrived at the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case last night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute.
Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and covering the book with his coat.
Photo: CNA
Lee said today that this is a serious international scandal and called on Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) to give a statement.
Wearing a Nazi armband symbolizes racial discrimination and persecution of human rights, he said.
As chair of the KMT, Chu should apologize for Sung’s actions, Lee said, adding that if he does not apologize, it shows support for his behavior.
Chu this morning said that various forms of protest are being used to satirize the DPP’s authoritarianism.
People have begun calling the DPP “green communists,” showing their opposition to unjust recalls and the DPP’s tyranny, he said.
DPP Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said on Facebook that this is no longer a domestic political issue, but an international issue and the KMT should sincerely apologize.
The German Institute Taipei on Facebook said it was “shocked” to see the use of Nazi symbolism used in connection with political aims.
It condemned the incident “in the strongest possible terms,” and thanked the Taiwanese public for their concern.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the "extremely inappropriate" way of expressing an opinion, calling on the public to refrain from actions that offend the people of other nations and tarnish Taiwan's image.
Nazi ideology led to the Holocaust, and related symbols are reviled around the world, including in Taiwan, it said.
Prosecutors said in a news release that they are investigating alleged forgery in recall petitions against DPP legislators Lee, Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧), Wu Chi-ming (吳琪銘) and Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸).
After analyzing petition information from the Central Election Commission and New Taipei City Election Commission, they said they found evidence of possible forgery and contraventions of the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法).
They directed the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau to search 30 locations, including residences and party offices of suspects in Banciao (板橋), Sanchong (三重) and Yingge (鶯歌) districts.
As of yesterday evening, more than 20 people had been brought in for questioning, local media reported.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
The brilliant blue waters, thick foliage and bucolic atmosphere on this seemingly idyllic archipelago deep in the Pacific Ocean belie the key role it now plays in a titanic geopolitical struggle. Palau is again on the front line as China, and the US and its allies prepare their forces in an intensifying contest for control over the Asia-Pacific region. The democratic nation of just 17,000 people hosts US-controlled airstrips and soon-to-be-completed radar installations that the US military describes as “critical” to monitoring vast swathes of water and airspace. It is also a key piece of the second island chain, a string of
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
RSS