Taiwan/Flag of the Republic of China. On January 11, 2023, at a military base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan‘s armed forces conducted a two-day routine exercise. (Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)
[People News] Taiwanese comedian Huang Yihau was intentionally struck by a vehicle in September. An unnamed official from Taiwan's national security agency disclosed to Radio Free Asia that investigators found on the suspect's mobile phone that the Chinese side had explicitly instructed them to hit Huang Yihau until he was 'crippled,' aiming to incapacitate him for at least one to two weeks.
According to Radio Free Asia, the official confirmed that the mastermind behind the incident, referred to as 'K' by investigators, is a member of the Chinese Communist Party who had previously entered Taiwan to carry out a mission and was present in Taiwan during several critical moments, including the day of the crash.
National Security Officials: The objective was to have Huang Yihau hospitalised for one to two weeks.
On Wednesday, the New Taipei District Prosecutor's Office indicted five Taiwanese men. The investigation revealed that a man named Zheng had installed a GPS tracker on Huang Yihau's motorcycle, obtained relevant personal information, and provided it to 'K,' receiving an advance payment of 250,000 NT dollars. Following this, Zheng and others staged a fake car accident and ambushed Huang Yihau near his residence on September 11, with one individual driving the vehicle to crash into him while another recorded the incident from the passenger seat as proof of mission completion.
The driver halted the crash upon hearing Huang Yihau's screams, resulting in Huang suffering only a bruise to his right pelvis, which did not constitute a serious injury. The involved parties later obtained a medical diagnosis certificate containing Huang Yihau's name, ID number, and details of his injuries, took a photo of it, and sent it to 'K' to claim the remaining payment; however, 'K' considered the injuries too minor and refused to pay the remaining 200,000 NT dollars.
The New Taipei District Prosecutor's Office charged the five individuals with attempted serious injury and violations of the Personal Data Protection Act, seeking sentences ranging from 2 years and 7 months to over 5 years and 6 months.
National security officials informed this station that data obtained from the suspect's mobile phone indicates that the Chinese side has made explicit demands regarding the operation's outcome. They not only want to prevent Huang Yihau from performing in Taiwan in September but also aim to harm him physically to disrupt his livelihood as a performer.
He explained that the harm originally anticipated by the Chinese Communist Party was expected to require 'at least one to two weeks of hospitalisation,' thereby preventing him from participating in the performance at the Taipei Comedy Club on September 20.
This official noted that the individual referred to as 'K' in the indictment had even entered Taiwan to carry out a mission. Immigration records confirm that he is affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party and was present in Taiwan during several critical moments of the case, including the day Huang Yihau was struck.
Related reports: Five suspects executing the Chinese Communist Party's cross-border suppression; a staged car accident injures a Taiwanese crosstalk actor.
Taiwan's National Security Bureau Director: Continuing to investigate the collaborative network.
This national security official stated that the Chinese Communist Party has a history of engaging with Taiwanese gangs or underworld figures to carry out tasks such as intimidation and warnings, indicating a long-standing interaction between the two sides in various forms.
However, he also pointed out that in the case of Huang Yihau being hit, the rewards for traditional gangs and factions are relatively low, while the risks are quite high. This is why the Chinese side later resorted to individual operatives to carry out the tasks. He mentioned that most of those currently indicted are independent illegal actors, many of whom have prior criminal records. National security analysts believe that these individuals may have accepted the tasks without fully considering the risks due to financial pressures. As for whether there are larger forces at play behind this, further investigation is necessary to clarify.
Liu Wenbin, the former director of the Cross-Strait Situation Analysis Division of Taiwan's Investigation Bureau, told our station that a reasonable conclusion is that local collaborators are assisting in this intimidation case. Otherwise, how could the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) find thugs among the vast population, and even the issue of 'how to pay them' would arise.
During a Legislative Yuan meeting on Thursday (22nd), Tsai Ming-yan, the Director of Taiwan's National Security Bureau, publicly stated that the CCP's cross-border suppression has severely infringed upon the bottom line of Taiwan's democratic rule of law. The local collaborative networks currently identified are primarily linked to organised crime gangs or credit agencies associated with such gangs. The National Security Bureau will investigate whether there are criminal groups receiving directives and funding from the CCP and has requested the National Police Agency to carry out crackdowns on specific gangs.
Tsai Ming-yan noted that the overall local network currently monitored by the National Security Bureau is largely connected to organised crime gangs or relevant credit agencies; those arrested in the case of Huang Yihao are still at the execution level.
Regarding why Beijing is targeting a crosstalk performer with no specific political background, national security officials stated that the true motive is difficult to ascertain. However, he speculated that Huang Yihao's jokes mocking Xi Jinping and the CCP may have already reached China and resonated with the Chinese public.
The Comedy Club where Huang Yihao performed was also vandalised with faeces and paint in May of this year. The Taipei District Prosecutor's Office believes that this incident also involves CCP personnel inciting Taiwanese individuals to commit crimes across borders.
An unnamed national security official indicated that the Taiwanese individuals involved in the faeces splashing incident in May and the fake car accident incident in September are not from the same group, but it cannot be ruled out that both cases were orchestrated by the same CCP unit.
He noted that this car accident case represents a rare instance of a cross-border suppression operation jointly handled by Taiwanese police and investigative units. Previously, similar incidents were typically treated as ordinary traffic accidents or injury cases. However, this time, the investigation was expanded from a national security perspective after authorities uncovered a planned mission involving personnel from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Current Taiwanese laws struggle to adequately address national security issues.
The case of Huang Yihau is currently being prosecuted primarily on charges of attempted serious injury and violations of the Personal Data Protection Act, among others. National security officials have indicated that Taiwan's existing Anti-Infiltration Law mainly deals with illegal activities related to elections, referendums, political donations, and lobbying that are directed or funded by foreign hostile forces. To apply this law, it must also be demonstrated that the instructing party has ties to the party, government, military, or their controlling organisations of the foreign hostile forces.
This official mentioned that if 'K' is ultimately classified merely as an ordinary Chinese civilian and it cannot be established that he has a clear connection to the CCP's party, government, and military system, the current Anti-Infiltration Law may be challenging to apply.
Nevertheless, Liu Wenbin expressed that while he supports the establishment of relevant laws to address cross-border crime, Taiwan's legal authorities often flexibly apply various laws to impose stricter penalties. This indicates that even if there are insufficient regulations concerning cross-border suppression, there are still mechanisms to ensure that those involved receive appropriate punishment, although he acknowledged that 'it is still not enough.'
National security officials believe that Taiwan could take cues from the foreign agent or foreign influence transparency systems in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. They suggest requiring individuals representing foreign forces in political activities to register and disclose relevant relationships, which would enable law enforcement agencies to trace foreign funding, directives, and local collaboration networks.
Cai Mingyan also noted that at present, most cross-border suppression cases can only be investigated under charges such as injury, attempted injury, intimidation, insult, or violations of the Personal Data Protection Act, among others. The National Security Bureau believes it is essential to review the Anti-Infiltration Law and supports discussions regarding relevant amendments. △
News magazine bootstrap themes!
I like this themes, fast loading and look profesional
Thank you Carlos!
You're welcome!
Please support me with give positive rating!
Yes Sure!