On Thursday, the verdict for Taiwan People's Party founding chairman Ko Wen-je's Jinghua City and political donations case was announced. He was convicted of four charges and sentenced to 17 years in prison with deprivation of political rights for 6 years. On Friday, TPP chairman Huang Kuo-chang convened an expanded joint meeting of the party’s Central Committee and Central Review Committee, stating, “This is the time for us to demonstrate unity and resolve. In court, we argue based on evidence and the law, but we cannot resist the DPP’s manipulation and control of the judiciary. The TPP will not back down because of this—we will take action.” He formally issued a nationwide mobilization order for the afternoon of March 29th (Sunday), calling for everyone to gather at Taipei’s Ketagalan Boulevard to demand justice.
The TPP held a press conference on Thursday evening regarding Ko Wen-je’s first trial verdict. Attendees included Ko Wen-je, Huang Kuo-chang, TPP Secretary-General Chou Yu-hsiu, TPP caucus director Chen Chih-han, as well as three lawyers: Cheng Shen-yuan, Lu Cheng-yi, and Hsiao Yi-hung.
On site, Huang Kuo-chang stated that faced with today’s undisguised, “shoot the arrow first and then draw the bullseye” political verdict, he wanted to report to all TPP members and supporters: “We will not fear, nor will we back down because of this. We will be more united, standing together and staying by Ko Wen-je’s side, continuing forward.”
Huang Kuo-chang mentioned that what they are striving for is not just Ko Wen-je’s personal vindication—it’s to save the judiciary in Taiwan that has already been manipulated by the DPP’s ‘green authoritarianism.’ If the DPP authorities today can purge Ko Wen-je in this way, who could still say they are not at risk of being the next victim?”
Huang Kuo-chang pointed out that before the press conference, he had tasked Chou Yu-hsiu with convening an expanded joint meeting of the Central Committee and Central Review Committee at the TPP central party headquarters at 9 a.m. on Friday.
“This is the time for us to demonstrate unity and resolve. In court, we argue based on evidence and the law, but we cannot resist the DPP’s manipulation and control of the judiciary. The TPP will not back down because of this—we will take action.”
At the expanded Central Committee and Central Review Committee meeting on Friday morning, Huang Kuo-chang formally issued a nationwide mobilization order—on March 29th afternoon, we’ll go to Ketagalan Boulevard together. The “little grass” present also chanted together: “Go to Ketagalan Boulevard, demand justice.”