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Protesters heckle
president at funeral
LISTENING IN? Relatives of 24-year-old army
corporal Hung Chung-chiu, whose funeral was yesterday, said they suspect that
their telephones have been tapped
By Rich Chang / Staff reporter, with CNA
Members of Hung Chung-chiu’s
family and protesters block President Ma Ying-jeou as he visits the family in
Greater Taichung to pay his respects at yesterday’s funeral service. Borough
warden Hsieh Jui-teh, center, knelt down imploring the crowd to let Ma through.
Photo: Liao Yau-tung, Taipei Times
Pictures of Hung Chung-chiu are
placed outside the mourning hall at the Hung family’s home in Greater Taichung
where his funeral service was held yesterday.
Photo: CNA
Angry protesters heckled President Ma
Ying-jeou (馬英九) and blocked his approach for about 20 minutes yesterday when he
arrived for the funeral of army corporal Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘). Later the
president again promised Hung’s family that he would try to uncover the truth
behind the 24-year-old’s death.
Ma arrived for the funeral in Greater Taichung at 8:30am amid heckling by more
than 100 angry protesters and Hung’s relatives who shouted slogans such as “We
want truth,” “Give us justice,” “Ma Ying-jeou step down” and “Liar.”
Police officers had to push protestors aside to allow Ma to get from his vehicle
to the Hung’s house — a distance of about 60m.
Ma and his entourage were finally allowed to pay their respects after a borough
chief Hsieh Jui-te (謝瑞德) kneeled down in front of the crowd and begged them to
make way for the president.
Ma was subjected to more protests and heckling as he was leaving the funeral.
Hung died on July 4, two days before his scheduled discharge from the military,
allegedly of heatstroke that resulted from strenuous physical punishment for
bringing a smartphone with a camera onto his base in violation of regulations.
His death has sparked public outrage and mass protests by tens of thousands of
people demanding justice and reforms in the military.
Ma, accompanied by Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強), newly appointed
Minister of National Defense Andrew Yang (楊念祖) and former defense minister Kao
Hua-chu (高華柱), again promised the family that they would seek to uncover the
truth behind Hung’s death.
“Just as protesters rallied on Ketagalan Boulevard yesterday [Saturday]
demanding truth, yes, the truth is the point, this must be clear,” Ma said.
Ma said the facts of the case would be revealed during the trial for the 18
military personnel who have been indicted.
“Many things that were not made public during the prosecutors’ investigation
will be closely examined by the military courts,” he said.
Ma said that although the case will be tried by a military court, if an
amendment to the Code of Court Martial Procedure (軍事審判法) is made to allow cases
of abuse in the military be reviewed in civil courts, it would be transferred.
He added that the Executive Yuan has formed a task force to amend the law and
negotiate with the legislature in a bid to allow Hung’s case to be tried by a
civilian court as soon as possible.
Hung’s father told Ma that the family was angry about the military prosecutors’
indictment because Hung was slandered in it, as it said Hung’s colleagues and
superiors sent him to detention in part because he altered his physical fitness
test results and did not carry out his duties.
The family was also angered by a decision by the Military High Court to release
four leading defendants on bail immediately after they were referred to the
court for trial, ruling that what they had not been charged with serious crimes.
Ma sought to reassure the family, saying that military prosecutors are appealing
the Military High Court’s decision to release the four. He also urged the family
to help the court discover the truth during the trial.
Meanwhile, Hung’s relatives said they suspect that their telephones have been
tapped and have expressed fears about intimidation by the authorities.
Hung’s mother asked Ma to protect her family from harassment and ensure their
safety.
Ma promised to look into the complaints and said that anyone found to have
illegally tapped the family’s phones will be held accountable.
Later yesterday, the ministry said it has not authorized any such monitoring and
will punish anyone in the military found to have done so.
Meanwhile, hours after the funeral, homicide was listed as the cause of Hung’s
death on the third death certificate issued by the military prosecutors. The
prosecutors met with the family in the afternoon and handed over a document
saying Hung died of homicide, Hung’s sister Hung Tzu-yung (洪慈庸) said.
The certificate was issued hours after the family complained to Ma that the
military prosecutors had refused to list the cause of death, even though a
coroner asked by the military to perform an autopsy said publicly that the
soldier died of causes “inflicted by others.”
On the first certificate issued days after the soldier’s death on July 4, the
cause of death was listed as “accidental.”
After protests by the family and a public outcry, a second certificate issued
late last month said the cause of death “remains to be verified.”
Meanwhile, 32 days after his death and hours after his funeral, homicide was
listed as the cause of Hung’s death on the third death certificate issued by the
military prosecutors. The prosecutors met with the victim’s family in the
afternoon and handed over a document saying Hung died of homicide, said Hung’s
sister Hung Tzu-yung.
The certificate was issued hours after the family protested to Ma that the
military prosecutors refused to list Hung Chung-chiu’s cause of death even
though a coroner asked by the military to perform an autopsy said publicly that
the soldier died of causes “inflicted by others.”
On the first certificate issued days after Hung’s death on July 4, the cause of
death was listed as “accidental.”
After protests by the family and a public outcry, a second certificate issued
late last month said the cause of death “remains to be verified.”
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