... and arbitrary restriction of movement.
Live update from Taipei source: ALL buses bound for Taipei from other places will be banned from the freeway tomorrow. The move is aimed at blocking DPP mobilization efforts. While there's no news on cars, I expect arbitrary ID checks of drivers coming into the city.Correction/update: I have yet to find any confirmation of this news which came to me by phone from a reliable source, but he was hearing it second hand too, and so far it hasn't checked out. I don't want to be alarmist, and sorry for potentially misleading. But it did sound worth publishing right away when I heard it.
Update: Janice has commented with a clip that seems to confirm the general plan for restriction, but not the details (buses aren't being told they can't come up). Instead (video), it appears police plan on stopping buses on their way up to Taipei to find reasons to detain some people, turn them around or at least cause significant delays. The source of the info is a DPP legislator, and that Kaohsiung County officials have refused to catch people on their end. Thanks Janice!!!!!!!
Update: Chthonic band lead vocalist Freddy wore a T-shirt with "Taiwanese" written on it; he was said to be wearing a "strange outfit" by the police. He walked on Zhangshan N Rd where Chen Yunlin was having dinner with Lien Chan with a coffee in hand. Of course he didn't just happen to be there, but he wasn't doing anything else other than walking and shopping.But the police stopped him telling him to go away.
And another person was asked to give up his Tibetan flag as the police said it's a "lethal weapon."
6 comments:
Remember when everybody was upset that Chen Shui-bian said the words "martial law." What we have now is a real live police state.
Tim Maddog
If this is true then we should no longer be careful about the words we use. The government has effectively imposed martial law without even issuing a decree or informing the people.
btw, I saw Freddy last night near the Legislative Yuan. I waved and said hi, but didn't have the chance to talk to him.
Jesus Christ. 20 years since martial law was lifted, but only 6 months to regress to this point again.
I suppose this is a test for the Taiwanese people. If we aren't willing to stand up as our civil rights are peeled away, then maybe we aren't deserving of them at all.
Certainly puts a damper on my evening...
I have yet to find any confirmation of this news which came to me by phone from a reliable source, but he was hearing it second hand too, and so far it hasn't checked out. I don't want to be alarmist, and sorry for potentially misleading. But it did sound worth publishing right away when I heard it.
This newsclip seems to confirm it.
http://blip.tv/file/1433096
Although I suppose we can't tell what their source is.
Whether the bus story turns out to be true or not, everything else we've seen over the past couple of days is visible evidence of a police state in effect. I may post something on Taiwan Matters shortly.
In the meantime, keep your eyes open, and stay safe.
Tim Maddog
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