The Chief Executive of the Indo-Pacific Strategy Think Tank, Akihio Yaita, was assaulted in Taichung on July 6th. The Taichung District Prosecutor’s Office has indicted a Chinese national and member of the Hong Kong gang “He Sheng He,” Liao Gangfa, and issued warrants for 4 other accomplices. Yaita pointed out that the investigation results show that this was a cross-border violent action, not simply a public security incident. The violence was aimed at silencing individuals, but he refused to be silenced by this attack, continuing to speak up for Taiwan and for freedom.
The Taichung District Prosecutor’s Office issued a press release on the 6th, stating that during July of this year, the defendant Liao Gangfa and other members of the Hong Kong gang “He Sheng He” formed a cross-border violent group that assaulted Akihio Yaita. The prosecutors completed their investigation and have filed charges against Liao Gangfa for organized crime, with a maximum statutory sentence of 5 years in prison, and requested continued detention by the court. Warrants have also been issued for the 4 accomplices who fled the country, as the authorities continue to investigate the mastermind behind the scenes and any local accomplices in Taiwan.
Yaita took to Facebook to express his gratitude to the police and prosecutors for swiftly uncovering the truth. The investigation results showed that this was not a case of mistaken identity, nor the “simple public security incident” as claimed by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Chinese government, but rather an “organized, planned, and paid” cross-border violent action. The prosecution further clarified that one of the objectives was to create a chilling effect, achieving a “kill one to warn a hundred” effect.
In recent months, similar incidents have been occurring in various democratic countries. In the United States, individuals have been accused of surveilling the family of former Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on behalf of the Chinese government. In South Korea, a restaurant named “Xi Jinping” was vandalized by 4 Chinese men. In Taiwan, the Kami Comedy Club was targeted with objects containing white paint and excrement due to a performer openly mocking Xi Jinping.
Yaita stated, “These events highlight a phenomenon that we should be highly vigilant about. The Chinese-style cross-border repression has evolved from online threats to property damage, employing individuals for violence; from targeting individuals to their families, and extending from Taiwan and Hong Kong to democratic societies like the United States and South Korea. What it truly aims to create is not just a one-time harm, but a sense of fear.” “When people begin self-censoring out of fear, the goal of cross-border repression has already been achieved.”
“Although this punch landed on my face this time, what it truly wants to eradicate is the courage of all individuals to speak up. So this is not merely a personal matter for me; it cannot be treated as just another ordinary public security incident. Faced with cross-border violence, it is necessary for democratic countries to unite. Taiwan, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and all allies in the democratic camp should establish a common defense line to prevent the authoritarian Chinese government from exporting violence and fear to democratic societies,” said Yaita.
Yaita emphasized that he will not remain silent because of this attack, but will continue to do what he believes is right, continue to voice out for Taiwan and for freedom, and continue to promote exchange and cooperation between Taiwan and democratic countries. The aim of violence is to make them shut up, so the best response is to keep speaking one’s mind and doing what one wants to do.