One of the ways that links between politics and People Who Wouldn't Seem Out Of Place In Goodfellas are publicly demonstrated is at major public events such as weddings and funerals. The Taiwan News makes the call:
One Bentley and 35 BMWs, 1,900 tables, political VIPs among over 15,000 guests and a bill surpassing NT$20 million - it was a marriage fit for royalty, but in fact celebrated the wedding of the 16-year-old son of Legislator Yen Chin-piao.
The Non-Partisan Solidarity Union legislator's youngest son, Yen Chia-yi, joined hands with his high school sweetheart, 15-year-old Su Yu-han, who is five months pregnant.
The event was hosted in Shalu, in Taichung county, just west of the city. Taichung has long been a KMT stronghold, so the reader can imagine just how well run our fine city is, and how free of local political corruption. What kind of person is Yen?
Yen is better known, however, for his alleged involvement in a number of crimes and scandals, including the Chinese Professional Baseball League's gambling debacle in 1997.
He has been convicted of corruption, illegal possession of firearms, attempted murder and aggravated burglary.
Who attended?
The wedding party was more a show of Yen Chin-piao's political muscle than a celebration of the new couple's friends, bringing together political figures of various parties, including the opposition Kuomintang's former chairman, Lien Chan (連戰), incumbent Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜).
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) as well as Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) were said to have been on the reception's guest list, but neither appeared at the ceremony.
The Chinese papers were a bit franker about affairs:
昨天南北二路不少「兄弟」以「集團企業」名義參加，有的一來就十幾桌，黑衣黑褲，令人側目；鎮瀾宮副董事長鄭銘坤綁架案中，外傳居中協調的「憨面」也是貴賓。
A rough translation: "Yesterday from north and south came no small amount of "brothers" using the names of companies to attend, taking up more than a dozen tables, wearing black clothing and black pants. Everybody looked at them."
The paper went on to report that police were videoing the participants.
[Taiwan] [KMT] [PFP] [DPP]
One of my alltime favorite election posters is from his last campaign. The photo is of Yen hold incense sticks, the dancing capering demons clearly visible behind his eyes. The caption, "How could one who worships Matsu possibly do wrong?"
ReplyDeleteClassic.
The China Post article on the wedding, "Wedding of the year shows lawmaker Yen's popularity", is a classic, characterizing Yen as "one of the highly unusual politicians emerged [sic] in the Taiwanese-style democracy". Yeah... not unusual enough, though...
ReplyDeleteI'd like to hear some comments from the usual rabble who claim the DPP is now just as corrupt as the KMT. Even Mr. Clean Ma-Yin-jeou can show up at a wedding like this, but none of the top DPP leaders. I wonder why?
ReplyDeleteoh my god i didn't know the couple were only teenagers! i saw this on the news. i thought the wedding was so cheesy. i see weddings (and cheaper ones too) classier than this here in the rural areas of tainan.
ReplyDeleteAlso worth mentioning is just how obsequious most of the broadcast media was -- and not just for the wedding but for the engagement ceremony as well!
ReplyDeleteA gangster's teenage son knocks up his girlfriend, and suddenly it's the nuptials of Charles & Diana. Sheesh.
They get married because of baby! And they're teenager. I belive the leading roles are not them but politicians. It's just look great from outside...35BMW! I respect Yen, who can handle both white side and black side of people.
ReplyDeleteVery funny..
ReplyDelete