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China tries to cash in on Taiwanese
hero¡¦s bravery
By Flora Wang
STAFF REPORTER
Thursday, Mar 04, 2010, Page 1
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Huang Chih-ming, left, receives a certificate
of appreciation from Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang in Taipei
yesterday. Huang has been praised for helping victims of a terrorist bombing in
Pune, India, despite being injured himself in the blast.
PHOTO: CNA
Chinese officials in India have attempted to take advantage of the heroics of a
Taiwanese man who, despite being injured in a deadly restaurant bombing in India
on Feb. 13, dashed back inside to help other survivors, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Spokesman Henry Chen (³¯»Ê¬F) said.
Chen said the Chinese officials attempted to portray the heroic Taiwanese as a
Chinese national.
¡§They went to see him at the hospital, but he pretended to be asleep [to avoid
being taken advantage of],¡¨ Chen told the Taipei Times yesterday.
The spokesman declined to reveal further details.
When Huang Chih-ming (¶À§Ó©ú) went to India last month, he had no idea he would be
at the scene of a bombing that would kill nine.
He was having a meal with friends at the restaurant when the bomb exploded on
the evening of Feb. 13. Huang survived the attack, but his left leg was injured
after being hit by a gas canister. His eardrums were also ruptured by the
explosion.
He nevertheless rushed back into the crowded eatery in Pune, India, to save
other victims after hearing two people crying for help, Huang said.
¡§I feel ashamed to be called a hero,¡¨ Huang said after receiving a certificate
of appreciation from Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (·¨¶i²K) yesterday
morning.
¡§After I had recovered a little bit, I realized that many people stayed late in
the hospital that night to save lives. They are the real heroes,¡¨ Huang said.
Huang, who returned to Taipei on Feb. 25, said his faith had led him to do the
right thing in the wake of the blast.
¡§I grew up in Taiwan and was educated here. I believe any Taiwanese in my shoes
would have done the same thing,¡¨ he said.
Huang has been awarded 50,000 rupees (US$1,090) by the Indian government and
received another 10,000 rupees from Taiwan¡¦s representative office in India. He
donated the money to the hospital where victims of the attack were cared for.
The minister said Huang¡¦s behavior exemplified the Taiwanese spirit, adding that
the nation was proud of his kindness.
The bombing was the first major attack in India since the Mumbai massacre in
2008. It happened one day after India and Pakistan agreed to resume talks.
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