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 (
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