Please post here
Very interesting. I can’t help you with your questions, but your story sounds as if somebody doesn’t like the Mayor very much. I think it is more likely that somebody is trying to give him a hard time, and just plays the “foreigner-alcohol-drugs”-card.
Buth then again that’s just me guessing.
Much sympathy for your position. It may be comforting to reflect on the fact that Chen will one day be six feet under and not missed. But until then, have you considered getting some kind of meeting going with the mayor and getting his take on proceedings? I assume that his name being on the cup must be worth something.
Bear in mind that Taitung City is part of Taitung County (unlike Taipei City and County) and that this “expulsion” (if this is indeed what happened) doesn’t sound like it amounts to very much. You are probably much better off staying well away from anything that might unnecessarily and personally attract this psychopath’s ire
Racist cop in a corrupt and useless police force. Nothing you can do mate. Sorry to hear about your troubles. I advise you contact the foreign press, but who may not be interested in it. The possible approach is to humiliate the government’s efforts to promote tourism. But quite frankly, they’re doing such an appalling job it would be very difficult.
just write editorials to newspapers warning foreigners not to visit these areas lest they be harassed based soley on being foreign. Put it in the Travel Guides too warning foreigners away from Taidong, eventually they’ll have to fight their negative image and fix things…
[quote=“21p”]The possible approach is to humiliate the government’s efforts to promote tourism. But quite frankly, they’re doing such an appalling job it would be very difficult.[/quote]The East Coast Scenic Area Administration has a huge budget for the purpose of boosting tourism in this area. However, most of it is clearly being squandered and embezzled by various groups, as is the norm. I think as long as they get the budgets they’re asking for, they won’t give a shit.
I think the above advice has been good.
Although we’ve heard a lot of stories about the trouble Chen causes foreigners over the years, it would be foolish to try and take him on somehow. The results would only be bad.
The best you can do is to keep reminding froeigners in Taidong - residents and visitors alike - that Taidong is a possibly ‘dangerous’ place for foreigners. It’s a pity there wasn’t a warning in the latest Lonely Planet. that might have got some attention.
And keep reporting these cases to the community at large - here on Forumosa and to the Taipei Times (who have covered at least two stories invloving Chen int he past). With as many details as possible - names, numbers, and organisations, you can help build up a record, just as you have done by posting here.
Brian
This is the sort of thing an International Residents Association could work on. We could approach Amcham and the European Chamber of Commerce and form a joint delegation to visit the National Police Administration as a first step. As Bulaien says, it would be helpful if we had as much detail as possible.
If you are serious about following this up, why not approach the drivers sitting in these suspicious looking cars and politely ask if they are police officers. If yes, get their identification. If they are cagey, discreetly get the number plates. Keep the information in case it proves useful. But bear in mind the previous warning about being too provocative. They could be local crooks scoping houses for a break-in. Or they could be really bad cops.
You must get hold of this piece, and determine whether it was a letter to the editor or an article. If it was an article, you should be able to find out who the author is and why he/she could be writing about something so arcane. The newspaper’s staff might be able to help you with this. Anyway, once you get the name, post it here and see what we can come up with.
(Edit:) You might also consider writing a letter as a group to the local newspaper that ran the article. Praise Taitung and praise Taitung’s people and insist that you are all law-abiding foreigners and that you don’t understand why heavily armed men turned up at your function, accused you of drug-running and then left without making a single arrest.
Who was the counsellor and what exactly did he/she say? Which party does he/she belong to? What was the mayor’s response? All of this is fairly important information for writing a report of complaint about the whole affair.
The Taitung City mayor, Lai Kun-cheng, is DPP, which means that the counsellor was probably KMT/PFP (possibly blue-leaning independent). Note that pressure can be brought to bear at this level. “Pan-blue camp county councillor smears law-abiding foreigners of XYZ” doesn’t read well for the KMT at all, in Taipei at any rate. This should not be politicized
going
gone
MistaMan, now I think you’re going a bit overboard. How on Earth can the police points system or digging up confidential personnel files be of any use to your cause? It has nothing whatsoever to do with the information you should be providing.
Next: was there an article or wasn’t there? Which newspaper? If there was it would be very easy to track down. Or is its existence just hearsay?
And: with so many people at this event, were there no photos taken of big-gun-toting police? Did no one have a digital camera on the day?
You need to start furnishing some hard evidence of what happened. Otherwise no one is going to bother translating things into Chinese for you.
Hang on, you’re telling us that you can’t find the promised newspaper article, but you can categorically say that Chen has the entire administrative and judicial establishment in his pocket. What bit of Watergate-style sleuthing allowed you to reach this conclusion?
zhujianlun is right, MistaMan. I don’t think anyone here really doubts what you say with regard to what went on that day – Peter Chen’s name has come up on these boards several times over the years and his reputation precedes him.
However, the kind of allegations and innuendo you are posting here will not do your case any good at all should you decide to take it further. You need to get your ducks lined up very carefully if you’re planning to … what exactly is it that you want? Take Peter Chen down? Extract some kind of official apology? What exactly?
OK. Shanyuan is actually in Beinan Township, not Taitung City, which meant that Mr Chen, if he is only in charge of Taitung City’s foreign affairs police, was operating outside of his jurisdiction
He also busted Scott Ezell (sp?) for performing in Duli. That’s in Donghe Township. Again in the County, not the City.