Budget Dispute in Yunlin's Baozhong Township Representative Assaulted; Prosecutor Requests Suspect Be Detained

Lin Yi-min, an independent representative of Yunlin County's Baozhong Township, was allegedly assaulted by a man named Chen and others over a budget dispute. The prosecutor requested detention for Mr. Chen, which was granted. Lin Yi-min condemned the violence today, but the family of Mr. Chen counter-accused the other party of initiating the physical altercation. The Baozhong Township Office stated that the judiciary will clarify the matter.

Lin Yi-min, accompanied by Baozhong Township Assembly Speaker Chen Liang-chun and others, held a press conference to explain the situation. The family of Mr. Chen was also present.

Lin Yi-min stated that on the evening of the 14th, his residence was broken into by more than 10 unknown individuals. During the confrontation, they mentioned the sanitation department and budget cuts, subsequently smashing objects with sticks and resorting to physical violence, causing him multiple injuries.

Chen Liang-chun and Lin Yi-min suspect the incident is related to the township assembly's deliberation on a budget increase proposal in November last year. Chen Liang-chun said the township office proposed increasing the sanitation team by 11 members, but the representative assembly, considering the township's finances, reduced part of the budget. The township assembly is fulfilling its role of "supervising township affairs." Democracy should not be threatened by violence. They hope the police and prosecutors will conduct a thorough investigation and eliminate violence from public affairs.

The son of Mr. Chen said that his father went to Lin Yi-min's residence alone that evening to lodge a complaint, but was instead threatened and beaten by Lin Yi-min's family. He demanded that the police and prosecutors conduct a detailed investigation.

According to a press release from the Taiwan Yunlin District Prosecutors Office, due to a local budget dispute, Mr. Chen gathered a group and went to Lin Yi-min's residence to argue, leading to a physical conflict. Police responded to the report and immediately deployed a rapid response unit to control the situation and apprehend relevant individuals for investigation.

After preliminary interrogation, prosecutors found Mr. Chen to be involved in crimes such as obstructing order, assault, and property damage, and deemed him to have a risk of colluding with accomplices, tampering with evidence, or destroying evidence. They requested detention and prohibition of consultation from the court, which was granted. Other involved individuals were released on bail pending further investigation. The office stated it will proceed with a fair and impartial investigation.

Chen Chiu-chen, secretary of the Baozhong Township Office, told the media that the Ministry of Environment has established reference principles for the establishment of local sanitation personnel in response to insufficient manpower in local sanitation teams. The Yunlin County Government has also set standards for sanitation personnel in township and city offices, approving 14 positions for the township office. The office, considering its financial resources, only allocated budget for 11 positions. The representative assembly initially deleted all of them, but after communication, 3 positions' budgets were retained. (Editor: Li Ming-zong) 1150417