Members of the Northern Taiwan Society were outraged by claims that plainclothes police outside the National Palace Museum used intimidating tactics during a visit by Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) on Monday.
Northern Taiwan Society director Lin Kuan-miao (林冠妙) said plainclothes police manhandled her during a scuffle outside the museum, adding that the organization’s secretary-general, Lee Chuan-hsin (李川信), heard one admit to being a former gangster.
A large number of police officers wore civilian clothes to maintain a low profile, but several allegedly got involved in scuffles with protesters.
PHOTO: LU CHUN-WEI, TAIPEI TIMES
BLENDING IN
Lee said he suspected the police wore civilian clothes so observers would believe they were just members of the public.
Lee said one individual he believed to be a plainclothes policeman denied this when questioned.
Lin said after entering the museum at about 4pm, she soon found herself surrounded by five or six plainclothes police. When Chen and his entourage emerged from the museum, Lin shouted at the Chinese envoy to go back to China. At that point, she said, one tall, burly police officer instructed others to silence her.
A policewoman covered Lin’s mouth to prevent her from continuing her protest, she said.
AGAINST HER WILL
Lin said this same burly policeman used his weight to shove her, before calling on his colleagues to grab her. The group then manhandled her, dragging her 20m to 30m in the direction of the main gates, she said. They only released her when a volunteer working for the society, who recognized one of the police officers, approached them.
Lin said she had not been holding any banner or poster when the police accosted her, adding that their behavior during the incident, including the physical force used and the attempt to silence her, amounted to restricting a member of the public’s right to express their opinion.
EX-MOBSTER
Lee said he had overheard one of the plainclothes police -officers near the main gates of the museum warning two students who had come to call on China to release jailed dissident writer and Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波) that they should leave, as “things are going to get violent in a while.”
Lee questioned the police oficer’s use of intimidation against the students, asking the man why he was behaving like a gangster. At that point, Lee said, the officer told him it was because he used to be a gangster. Lee said he wasn’t sure how to respond upon hearing that.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS