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and Article 100 of the Criminal Code, in support of
Huang Hua, who had just been arrested. Unfortunately, both proposals were blocked.
President Lee Teng-hui then promised to push
constitutional reforms after the Wild Lily student
movement. Grand Justices of the Judicial Yuan issued
Interpretation No. 261 on June 20 of the same year,
which decreed that the first elected representatives
should cease to exercise their powers before December 31, 1991. The time for a full National Assembly
re-election had finally come.
However, in the March 1991 National Assembly
meeting, some senior representatives who resisted reforms used their power to expand their self interests.
The Alliance of Students and Professors to Draft the
Constitution began to organize sit-in protests on campus once more.
Also, although the Judicial Yuan interpretation
already signaled that these “senior” legislators should
step down, these legislators, led by Legislative Yuan
President Liang Su-yung, still dominated Legislative
Yuan proceedings, stubbornly resisting the people’s
calls for freedom and democracy.
Liang Su-yung was elected from China’s Liaobei
Province. At the time, he was over 70 years old but
was still healthy, loud, and ready to put up a fight. He
holds the record for using the National Assembly’s
police powers the most times, the most egregious instance being the April 12 incident in 1991.
Back then, KMT legislators elected in supplementary elections had a very low attendance rate. The
senior legislators had a high attendance rate, but most
just signed in before returning to their offices. Therefore, the DPP caucus often used times when KMT at-
September 27, 1991: The Kaohsiung incident was overturned, restoring Huang Hsin-chieh's role as a supplementary
legislator with an indefinite term. 40 minutes after his reinstatement, he made the speech "Please bid farewell to old
times with me" and resigned, leading by example to call for the dissolution of the "Ten Thousand Year Congress".
Photographer: Huang Yen-wen
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tendance was lower to make impromptu motions.
On April 12, Liang Su-yung presided over a meeting to arrange and discuss the agenda. DPP legislator
Chang Chun-hsiung raised an impromptu motion for
the Ministry of Defense to deliver a report on a case
regarding human rights in the military. It was just a
very ordinary proposal reflecting public opinion.
For some reason, Liang Su-yung insisted on sidelining the proposal. DPP legislators protested citing
the rules of procedure, but they were ignored. After
taking the stage, Chang Chun-hsiung, angered from
being completely ignored by Liang Su-yung, strode
up the podium and slapped Liang Su-yung in the face.
Liang Su-yung immediately retaliated, and the situation escalated in to a slapping match.
DPP legislators were in the majority that day, and
they rushed towards the podium in protest. Being out-
Chapter 4
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Law Amendments: No More Political Prisoners
numbered made Liang Su-yung even angrier, prompting him to use police powers. Numerous police officers stormed into the Legislative Yuan, dragging then
DPP caucus leader Lu Hsiu-yi into the break room
while kicking his abdomen and other vital areas.
DPP legislator Tai Chen-yao heard screams and
ran to the break room to help. He saw Lu Hsiu-yi lying on the ground, surrounded and being beaten by
7 or 8 police officers. Tai Chen-yao jumped forward,
but he too was overpowered and beaten to the ground,
forced to struggle and block the blows with his back.
By then, the chamber was in complete chaos. Liang Su-yung denounced the DPP as a “violent gang”
and once again ordered the police to drag Lu Hsiuyi out of the room. Lu was dragged, hit, kicked, and
stepped on by police for a second time.
Reporters at the second floor press center saw how
March 1991: The first National Assembly representatives, who had served a term of 43 years, walking out of the
Yangmingshan ChungShan Hall after their final session. Photographer: Hsu Po-hsin
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