Sean Lien, a son of former Vice President Lien Chan, was reportedly shot in the head when campaigning for a ruling Kuomintang(KMT) candidate in Taipei County Friday on the eve of Taiwan's crucial mayoral and council elections.
Lien, 40, was rushed to National Taiwan University Hospital for emergency treatment. His condition is not immediately known.
KMT Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu told reporters that a gunman shot Lien at close range when he was preparing to speak in a rally in Yonghe,just outside Taipei City.
Lien was elected a member of the KMT's decision-making standing committee in 2005.
Lien is expected to survive. One person behind him was killed. UPDATED II: Now news is reporting he died of heart attack. UPDATED IV: Nope, was shot.
UPDATE: Several media organs now saying killer was hunting a local election candidate and didn't realize Sean Lien would step up there. This looks like local gangland stuff.
UPDATE III: Police now saying shooter confessed he supported another KMT candidate. Seems purely local and only an accident Sean Lien happened to cross paths with bullet. I sincerely hope this is purely local and not vast conspiracy madness. Now at last I can sleep....
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Can I be first to call KMT schenanigans on this one? This reeks of Chen Shui Bian in 2004...
ReplyDeleteLOL. Could be gangsters betting on election outcomes wanting to shift the odds. Could be someone is miffed at Lien Chan for switching support to another politician. Could be man out to carve name for himself. Could be many things.
ReplyDeleteWhat's with the LOL? A man has been shot in the head. You show little regard for human life. Troll.
ReplyDeleteCan I be first to call KMT schenanigans on this one? This reeks of Chen Shui Bian in 2004...
ReplyDeleteDon't be so hasty. Latest reports all say is local gangland thing.
What's with the LOL? A man has been shot in the head. You show little regard for human life. Troll.
ReplyDeleteLOL. LOL. LOL. LOL. LOL. LOL.
A man was killed, BTW. Sean Lien's life is not in danger. And anon's comment sparked grim humor in me.
And you, as you so correctly, signed, are a troll.
I think the LOL was directed at the first anon's suggestion that this may have been a setup. Although that idea is one possibility, its an extreme one. I think the LOL was a knowing chuckle at the suggestion, as MT is more than aware of how this incident will quickly be interpreted by people in multiple ways, especially given the timing. However as MT said to me 'we don't know the facts so no theorising'.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it was brevity at the fact of the incident or the tragic nature of it given that a person has lost their life tonight.
This brings back memory regarding what Lien Chan and other KMT people's response was when they first heard about Chen had been shot, which was essentially that Chen was "guilty until proven innocent." Of course, we all know how the investigation thing played out. Empathy toward Lien? How come he and his family are always asking to be at the receiving end of it and giving end of hatred? How much wealth has his family amassed? Have they expressed any gratitude?
ReplyDeleteHere's an odd sentence from the AP's report: "The son of former Taiwanese Vice President Lien Chan was shot in the face while speaking Friday at a campaign rally in suburban Taipei, but the island's leader says his life is not in danger."
ReplyDeleteYou can call Lien the former Vice President but you have to call Ma the "leader"?
At the last minutes of election campaign? C'mom, 99% is due to the gambling bets on the election.
ReplyDeleteThere is a holier than thou anon that likes to butt into comments here at VFT. I've seen it before.
ReplyDeleteMore than likely s/he's a KMT supporter as 100% of the time they can't confront truth/logic/common sense with any type of reasonable response since the KMT's entire game plan is based on a LIE. (roc is china).
I hope the people finally wake up tomorrow. This shooting (Bulletgate v2) will overshadowing everything now, unfortunately.
Triad hit on KMT Taizi?
ReplyDeleteAt least Shenzhu 神豬 (loosely translated as Magic Pig) will live!
ReplyDeleteLet's just admit it and concede that this will affect the outcome of these elections. This is just as big as Abian getting shot.
ReplyDeleteI think it's pretty odd that they rushed the handicap man to Yongho Gengshin Hospital and Lien Shengwen to NTU Hospital. What is that about? What happened to universal healthcare? There shouldn't be any tiers in coverage.
ReplyDeleteMichael, what are you talking about? He died of heart attack? What? Who? Some random person?
ReplyDeleteMa will soon put the fault on DPP, I guess : "Taiwan is a democracy. We will not tolerate such violence."
ReplyDeleteI personally don't think the effect on the election will be anywhere near the level of a-bian's incident. Since the guy who shot him conceded that he was going to shoot the municipal councilor candidate(who happen to look where much like Lien) instead of Lien. He also seems to have been a gangster + drug addict, & might just be insensible at the time. Or he might be induced to do so as a result of gambling.
ReplyDeleteJust remember the New Party rep who was whacked in Xindian over ties to organized crime and a river dredging deal gone bad.
ReplyDeleteI actually hope voters will ask themselves which party and candidates are tight with those in organized crime.
They should also ask themselves why organized crime has become so influential in society. Maybe even remember the case in Taichung where the police were present at a gangland shooting.
Maybe a little time pondering why Yen Ching-biao is in the LY.
Politics Pinoy Style.
ReplyDeleteI think it's pretty odd that they rushed the handicap man to Yongho Gengshin Hospital and Lien Shengwen to NTU Hospital.
ReplyDeleteThe other man's injuries were more serious, so that's probably why they rushed him to a nearer hospital. In the end, he was DOA.
They took Lien Shengwen to the same hospital in Yonghe first and then transferred him to Taida for surgery.
ReplyDeleteThe other man, who was handicapped and completely innocent bystander hit in the eye from 20 meters away by a stray shot was dead on arrival. There was no point in taking him anywhere else.
Heart attack? Who??
ReplyDeleteI am surprised that non of the US main stream media reported this event.
ReplyDelete