Police investigate Tsai Ing-wen Facebook death threat

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/print/2011/06/15/2003505821
‘KEEP CALM’:：Prior to the death threat, Tsai reportedly downplayed the need for police to provide a security team, instead favoring using the DPP’s bodyguards
By Vincent Y. Chao / Staff Reporter
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 - Page 1

Police are investigating a death threat against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) that was posted online and has prompted the implementation of additional security measures.

Posted on Facebook last month, but only recently discovered, a user by the name of “Down Tsai” said on May 19 that the presidential candidate “deserves to be killed,” adding that “those that should be killed, should be killed.”

“[She] ought to be killed,” Down Tsai wrote after repeated requests from another Facebook user to tone down his remarks.

“Tsai really is, compared with [President] Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), more hated by people,” Down Tsai went on to write.

National Police Agency officials said two cars and eight security personnel have already been made available to Tsai, adding that additional personnel would be present at her residence in Taipei and at her campaign events.

Four police officers were present at one of her campaign events yesterday at Shih Hsin University.

A special task force has also been assigned to investigate the case, National Police Agency Deputy Director-General Lin Kuo-tung (林國棟) said.

There have been several poll-related shootings in the past, the most recent in November last year when Sean Lien (連勝文), a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) central committee member, was shot on the eve of an election after being mistaken for another elected official. Lien survived the attempt, but a bystander was killed.

Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) said that death threats “would not be taken lightly.”

“We hope that this case can be dealt as soon as possible and according to law,” he said.

DPP officials said Tsai would accept police protection and that her security personnel would hold a “coordination meeting” with police later this month, despite an initial reluctance by the presidential candidate to accept protection.

Prior to the death treat, Tsai reportedly downplayed the need for police to provide a security team, instead favoring using the party’s bodyguards. She has not yet approved a list of bodyguards prepared by the ministry and given to her last month, Jiang said.

When asked about the threat yesterday, Tsai said: “We hope everyone can keep calm and stay reasonable.”

DPP politicians have compared the Internet threats with an online post in March last year that called for the assassination of Ma’s two daughters, who both reside in the US. The perpetrator, a man surnamed Chen (陳), was found within two days and he was later given a 40-day prison sentence.

“We hope police will treat both cases similarly and find the culprit in the shortest time possible,” DPP Legislator Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠) said.


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