An independent lawmaker with a reputation for fist fighting and close links to organized crime struck a female colleague and grabbed her hair yesterday during a committee meeting, sending the woman to the hospital with minor injuries.
PFP lawmaker Diane Lee (李慶安) is expected to file a suit today against her attacker, Lo Fu-chu (羅福助).
Earlier this month Lo was sentenced by the Taipei District Court to 59 days detention for his part in a 1998 brawl at the legislature.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
"This is not only a harm to myself, but also humiliating to the legislature and Taiwan's democracy," Lee said. "Lawmakers shouldn't be subject to any threat of violence when carrying out their duties."
Lo apologized yesterday for setting what he called "a bad example" for society. His apology came eight hours after the incident -- which was filmed in detail by a video camera installed in the legislature and was broadcast repeatedly almost all day long on TV news.
Before the footage was located and broadcast, Lo had maintained that he "never touched" Lee.
"Verbal conflicts and even physical clashes are a mistaken example. I hereby extend my deepest apology to the public," Lo said.
Still, Lo sought to blame his victim for the attack, saying Lee incited the incident when she suggested that he was a gangster.
On Monday, during a meeting of the Education and Culture Committee, Lee intimated that Lo had attempted to interfere in the selection process of board members for the Jin Wen Institute of Technology (
Words turn into blows
Yesterday's fight broke out at roughly 9am when the committee was about to meet again.
According to Lee, Lo approached her and furiously asked, "What did you say in the committee? Did you call me a gangster?"
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE LEGISLATIVE YUAN
Though she denied calling Lo a gangster, Lee said, the independent lawmaker was not convinced and spat out an obscenity at her.
The video footage shows an angry Lee standing up to Lo, a cup of water at the ready to pour on her irate colleague. But Lo was quicker, and he snatched the cup from Lee and threw it against a wall behind her.
Lee's assistant, observing the quickly escalating tensions, attempted to come to Lee's rescue with a stack of documents.
Lo moved in on Lee and was also joined by an assistant of his own, who grabbed Lee's assistant from behind.
As Lee attempted to help her assistant, Lo hit her on her back. As the clash continued, Lo pulled Lee by her hair before three other legislators intervened to break up the mismatched fight.
Lee was hospitalized at National Taiwan University Hospital yesterday afternoon with symptoms of a slight concussion and was listed in stable condition.
Lee reportedly suffered bruises to her back, neck, right shoulder and right thumb and had scratches on her forehead and left arm.
Violent record
Lo is one of several legislators known to resort to fisticuffs in disputes with colleagues.
On March 2, Lo was sentenced to 59 days of detention by the Taipei District Court for assaulting DPP legislator Yu Jan-daw (
The sentence, however, can be substituted with the payment of a fine.
Most of Lo's victims have been from the DPP, including incumbent legislators Chien Hsi-chieh, Tsai Ming-hsien (
The DPP caucus was the first to join the PFP caucus yesterday in condemning Lo and demanding that the legislature's Discipline Committee meet immediately to address the incident.
"Violent incidents have occurred again and again because other caucuses never spoke a word when DPP legislators were attacked in the past," said Chou Po-lun (周伯倫), convener of the DPP caucus.
Meanwhile, Legislative Yuan speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
Wang said the legislature, with the approval of lawmakers, will refer the case to the Discipline Committee tomorrow at the earliest.
Also See Lawmakers Inside
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS