Lawmakers victimized by acts of violence of independent lawmaker Lo Fu-chu (
People First Party Legislator Diane Lee (
"The legislature shouldn't be out of the reach of law and order. Violence is not allowed in our society and the legislature should not tolerate behavior such as physical attacks on others," Lee said.
TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO
Lee said it was regretful that the televised violent incident made Taiwan's democratic development the laughing stock of the international community.
Lee said she believed the prosecution decided to charge Lo with being a hoodlum because of the repeated acts of violence he has committed.
"The fact that Lo never attended the investigative hearing held by prosecutors shows that he feels no remorse at all for the incident," Lee said.
Lo is one of several legislators who has resorted to fisticuffs in disputes with colleagues.
On March 2, Lo was sentenced to 59 days in detention by the Taipei District Court for assaulting DPP legislator Yu Jan-daw (
Yu is dissatisfied with what he called a light sentence and has appealed to the Taiwan High Court.
Yu said both Lee's case and his own are evidence of Lo's habitual violence.
"Authorities concerned should continue their investigation as long as there is evidence," Yu said.
Chien Hsi-chieh, another DPP legislator who was slapped by Lo after a quarrel erupted during a committee meeting in the legislature on Jan. 3, 2000, said all acts of violence should be punished and that no lawmaker should be threatened with violence while performing their duties.
"These threats of violence make lawmakers fear for their safety even in doing their job," Chien said.
Independent lawmaker Liao Hsueh-kuang (廖學廣), who blames Lo for his abduction in 1996 -- wherin he was blindfolded, gagged and put in a cage -- said Lo should be put in jail for an extended period of time.
No criminal charge was brought against Lo in Liao's case due to a lack of evidence.
"He [Lo] will be arrested as long as the victims are willing to testify against him. He has been involved in too many cases of violence," Liao said.
Before deciding to refer Lo to police authorities on charges of being a hoodlum, investigators obtained the testimony of a number of Lo's victims, prosecutors said.
In addition to Lee, Yu and Chien, six other lawmakers have been physically attacked by Lo, including DPP legislators Chang Chin-fang (
A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
RSS