In a U-turn from his previous position, Premier Frank Hsieh approved the resignation of Vice Minister of the Interior Lin Yung-chien (林永堅), Cabinet spokesman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday.
Lin resigned to take responsibility for the violent clashes between pan-blue and pan-green camp supporters at CKS International Airport as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
"I hope criticism stops here, as I took the responsibility and resigned," Lin said. "From now on, I hope we will keep encouraging our police officers as they continue to do their jobs. We shall have faith in them."
Lin made his remarks during a press conference at the ministry yesterday morning.
"I called [Hsieh] last night and told him that I would take the responsibility and resign. He understood and said, `thank you for your sacrifice,'" Lin said.
The vice minister said that he is responsible because Interior Minister Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) was in Rome participating in the Pope's coronation on that day.
During the press conference, Lin also responded to criticism regarding the inability of the police to bring the brawl to an end, or to dismiss the crowd at the airport before clashes took place.
"The police's priority in such situations is to talk the person or people down. The police did not do anything wrong," Lin said.
But the former vice minister signaled out airport security officials for failing to prevent the violence.
"I feel regret that the officer in charge at the scene failed to exercise his authority and respond properly when the violence broke out," Lin said, referring to former Aviation Police Bureau Director Chen Juei-tien (陳瑞添).
Chen was moved out of the job and into a research position shortly after the incident.
Lin also said that the ministry's request from the police was clear and well informed. Unfortunately, the Aviation Police Bureau director did not strictly enforce the law so he lost his job, he said.
In addition, National Police Agency Deputy Director-General Liu Shih-lin (劉世林) was also administratively punished for failing to ensure that the bureau had sufficient personnel to maintain security at the airport.
Lin also told reporters that Director-General Hsieh Ing-dan (謝銀黨) said he should also be punished for the incident.
His request has not been confirmed.
"We need Hsieh to stay, at least for this moment, to comfort the police force and encourage fellow officers," Lin said.
Now that Lin is no longer vice interior minister, he said he hopes "probes into police conduct can be stopped at this point," as police still have many tough jobs ahead.
Lin was referring to Lien's return on May 3, and People First Party Chairman James Soong's (宋楚瑜) departure for China May 5.
Lin, a former deputy mayor of Kaohsiung, assumed the second-highest post at the MOI -- which supervises police operations -- in February this year.
Meanwhile, Chen Tzi-chin (
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by