Taiwanese influencer '館長' (Chen Chih-han) was indicted on June 9 by the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office for intimidation endangering safety and intimidation of the public. Last October 5, during a livestream, he not only made remarks suggesting support for armed invasion of Taiwan, but also blurted out: 'Chop off (Taiwan President) Lai Ching-te's dog head,' and called out to China: 'Brother, I’m waiting for you. Really, I think of you day and night.'
According to Liberty Times, prosecutors found that during the livestream on his YouTube channel, titled 'KMT elects new party chair on Sunday, cross-strait debate canceled—I said so, didn’t I? I’ve been in Taiwanese politics for 12 years,' Chen first said: 'If we’re being frank here, what’s the point of elections? You don’t have to worry, just reunify by force; by 2027 there’s no need to vote. Make them take a stand, stand for what? It’s always the same—no one gets spared. Precision strikes, decapitation, don’t be afraid,' 'OK, I’m not afraid,' 'Brother, I wait for you,' 'It’d be good, actually,' 'Both sides of the strait are one family, we are all Chinese people. I support you, you’re my brother,' and other remarks, implying support for armed invasion of Taiwan.
The prosecutors' investigation revealed that Chen then continued, saying: 'I saw the news about decapitation strikes yesterday,' 'precision decapitation,' 'chop off Lai Ching-te’s dog head,' 'Brother, I wait for you,' 'I think of you by day and by night,' and so on, deliberately extending recent news reports of the 'PLA rehearsing decapitation operations against Taiwan' into the act of beheading the President.
Last October, '館長' went to the Criminal Investigation Bureau and the Prosecutors Office for questioning. He argued that he had no criminal intent, was merely responding to netizens and commenting on news, and could not order the PLA’s actions. After further questioning, prosecutors released him on bail of NT$150,000.
Prosecutors stated that 'decapitation operation' is not the same as literally beheading the President. Chen’s use of the deprecatory term 'chop off Lai Ching-te’s dog head' was a clear statement of intimidation with obvious criminal intent.
Prosecutors believe that Chen first expressed agreement and welcome for netizens’ rhetoric supporting armed invasion, then maliciously extended the military term 'decapitation operation' used in news reports into the concrete criminal act of beheading Lai Ching-te, which goes far beyond the public's common understanding of 'the CCP planning armed reunification against Taiwan' and 'decapitation operation.' As Chen clearly stated, 'chop off Lai Ching-te’s dog head' and similar remarks, his actions have exceeded social norms and are not protected by freedom of speech.