There is no doubt that the recent elections in Taiwan have sparked a fire of controversy in the days following, as media personnel dispute the influence of both China and the U.S. on the election results. But it is not just these two global giants that many Taiwanese perceive as throwing a dark cloak over the elections: Kaohsiung-based reporter Chiang Wen-hsin, after being severely beaten by four masked men on the morning of the 18th, speculates that his attack centered around election results.
The 56-year old, who works for the Chinese-language Taiwan Times, advocates that he has no disputes with anyone in particular; only that the legislative elections in Kaohsiung were extremely tense, and he had received phone calls from partisan supporters accusing him of biased reporting. A special team has been assigned to investigate the case. After all, if Chiang’s assertion proves to be true, Taiwan’s legitimacy as a democracy, equipped with a truly free press, might be severely compromised – certainly in the eyes of the West.
Both Chiang’s legs were broken and he suffered multiple broken ribs and fingers. While his injuries were not life-threatening, the damage to his hands sends a poignant message – Chiang will not be pecking any articles for some time to come into his computer keyboard.
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