What happened
Taiwanese prosecutors have indicted five men for attacking a comedian who spent two-and-a-half minutes mocking China's leader Xi Jinping on stage. The attack was allegedly paid for by a person in China, known as 'K', who offered a payment of NT$450,000 ($13,890) to gather the comedian's personal information and inflict severe injuries upon him.
The comedian, Huang Yi-hao, was hospitalized after the attack, which left him with bruising to his right pelvis. The attack was carried out by a group of men who allegedly attached a GPS tracker to Huang's motorcycle and monitored his movements before staging a traffic accident intended to break his arms or legs.
The incident has been condemned by Taiwan's government, which has warned that such violence threatens public safety and freedom of expression. The case is seen as another suspected incident of transnational repression by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has issued a stern condemnation of the CCP, stating that anyone who participates in or assists with transnational repression will be held accountable under the law. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Department of China Affairs has also condemned the attack, warning the Beijing authorities to cease all forms of transnational repression and malicious acts that threaten the people of Taiwan.
