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Museum stifling
pro-independence protests: activists
By Mo Yan-chih / Staff reporter
Several Taiwanese independence advocates yesterday accused the security guards
at the National Palace Museum of using violence to stop their protest in front
of the museum and of violating their freedom of speech to curry favor with
Chinese tourists.
To protest againstPresident Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) proposed peace accord with
China, seven independence advocates visited the museum on Wednesday last week
and held banners with slogans that read “Taiwanese independence” at the
entrance, drawing the attention of security guards. A clash took place as one of
the guards snapped a flag pole in two and scratched a protester during a
scuffle.
“We were having a peaceful protest standing in front of the entrance with flags.
The security guards came over and tried to grab the flags without any
explanation. I didn’t realize until later that they are not real police,” one of
the protesters, Lee Wen-bin (李文賓), told a press conference at the Taipei City
Council.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Tung Chung-yen (童仲彥)
accused the museum’s guards of abusing their authority by violating the
protesters’ freedom of speech and urged Taipei City Police Department’s Shilin
branch to take over responsibility for maintaining public order at the museum.
“We see many Chinese tourists carrying all kinds of flags while visiting the
museum, but no security guards have ever tried to take those flags away. The
museum apparently applies double standards and tries so hard to please Chinese
tourists that no one can talk about Taiwanese independence in front of them,” he
said.
Lee said the group has held protests at various locations, including the
Presidential Office, the Executive Yuan and the Control Yuan, which were never
dispersed by the police.
He also questioned the striking similarities between the security guards’
uniforms and police uniforms, and said Taipei Police Department should ask the
museum to change the uniforms of its security guards to avoid confusion.
Lin Hou-yu (林厚宇), chief of the museum’s security office, yesterday apologized
for the behavior of the guards, while dismissing concerns that the museum was
attempting to block pro-independence sentiments being displayed in the presence
of Chinese tourists.
“Our security guards lost their temper while trying to communicate with the
protesters. We will strengthen our training in anger management,” he said.
As to the security guards’ uniforms, Lin Chung-chih (林崇志), a divisional director
at Shilin Police District, said the uniforms of the guards were designed in
accordance with regulations governing security guards at institutions and
schools under the Ministry of the Interior.
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