|
EDITORIAL: Take a
stand against police abuse
Amid growing public discontent with government policies and wave after wave of
public protests, law enforcement authorities are under severe strain and have on
occasion gone overboard in their duties, which has prompted a large number of
lawyers and human rights organizations to step in.
Almost every day in recent months, the news has been filled with footage of
protesters ˇX from university students to elderly citizens ˇX clashing with police
over a number of controversies.
For weeks now, the Legislative Yuan has been under siege, while Cabinet
officials have been the targets of flash protests all over the country, their
visits turning the venues into high-security zones surrounded by large police
deployments. In some instances, the National Security Bureau has even stepped
in. Special zones have been created where protesters are hemmed in and with
growing frequency police have requested that ordinary citizens show their
identity documents whenever they approach a ˇ§restrictedˇ¨ zone. In some cases,
refusal to do so has led to a visit to the local police station.
The sense of oppression has increased and with it the fear of a return to past
practices under authoritarian rule. Young men whose only crime was to wear a red
T-shirt ˇX a color associated with several civic movements ˇX have been swarmed by
police officers who suspected they were participants in a protest, when in fact
they were heading for a bus station near the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)
headquarters.
Other cases have been less amusing, with protesters being dragged away,
arrested, harassed and physically injured. In Miaoli County, which has a
particularly bad reputation, and where a German firm is erecting wind turbines,
abuse by police and thugs have been especially notorious.
After observing recent developments, a large number of lawyers are saying they
have seen enough and are compelled to take action. Dozens of them assembled in
front of the Ministry of Justice yesterday to deliver a petition signed by as
many as 1,000 lawyers, which represents about a fifth of the total in the
country. Many of them are giving their time, free of charge, to defend victims
of abuse by law enforcement officials and they are pressuring the government to
remedy the situation. The substantial numbers are an indication of the
seriousness of the situation.
However, the alarm, though justified, should be put in perspective. The majority
of police officers in Taiwan are professional and kind. Efforts are also being
made by the police force in Taipei to reach out to and assist foreign
journalists covering recent clashes. A good number of police have also expressed
sympathy for the causes behind the protests and have intervened when activists
risked getting injured.
However, there are overzealous officers who are sullying the reputation of the
force, and there are also signs of great pressure from above calling on police
to act in ways that risk crossing certain lines.
Another development that could lead to serious problems is that the large number
of protests is forcing law enforcement authorities to call upon police from
outside their jurisdiction for assistance. When this happens, the bonds that
have developed between protesters and police officers over months are severed,
and the resultant lack of familiarity has had a demonstrable impact on the
willingness of police officers to use force against activists.
As more and more police are brought in from outside, and with large protests
expected this month ˇX again over issues of land theft, forced evictions and
demolitions of peopleˇ¦s homes ˇX the potential for further violence and serious
injuries is something that everybody involved will have to bear in mind.
|
