avoid using excessive force

國際特赦組織 籲台灣警察勿濫用暴力
http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2008
/new/dec/5/today-p1.htm
〔記者陳宣瑜、黃敦硯／台北報導〕

在野草莓一二○七大遊行前夕，國際特赦組織（ＡＩ）在日前發文公開聲明，敦促台灣警方，大遊行當天的警力運用和群眾管制應遵守國際標準。

促允許人民和平抗爭

國際特赦組織聲明也指出，「野草莓學生運動」認為警方在處理陳雲林訪台期間的群眾抗議活動，過度使用暴力，因此從十一月六日起發動靜坐抗議至今，台灣的公民社會團體也在進行調查，民眾在抗議過程中遭警察打傷頭部和折斷手指等事件。

國際特赦組織同時呼籲，監察院應正視台灣公民團體所提出的嚴重關切，應停止利用集遊法箝制人民的集會自由，並應允許人民以和平方式從事抗議行動。

（中文原文：http://www.amnesty.tw/?p=597；
英文原文：http://www.amnestyusa.org/
document.php?lang=e&id=ENGASA380012008）

警政署強調依法行政

對於國際特赦組織的要求，警政署表示，警察作為一向秉持依法行政的原則，保障合法、取締非法、制裁暴力的態度不變，至於野草莓學運的遊行地點與路線，是在台北市警察局轄內，相信轄區分局與警察局會做最妥適的處理。

野草莓學運表示，週日的「一二○七野給你看」野草莓全台串連大遊行，預計中午十二點在自由廣場集結，下午一點出發沿著中山南路，步行到立法院、行政院，再到總統府前，野草莓會將棺材運到凱道上，進行「人權出殯」儀式，結束後回到自由廣場舉辦晚會，有地下樂團表演，還有各地野草莓代表上台暢談未來展望。

野草莓發言人奉君山表示，到目前為止統計，大約已有近千位學生、社運團體及老師會來參加遊行，他強調，參加遊行者請身著黑色上衣。另外，為避免模糊遊行訴求，參加者請勿身著或攜帶有政黨標誌、口號物品。

野草莓也表示，一二○七大遊行不會依照現行集遊法向警方申請遊行許可，但會根據學生所主張的修法原則向警方「報備」。

野草莓表示，從國際特赦組織的聲明看出，他們對台灣政府警察處理抗議行動的行為充滿疑慮，提前呼籲政府不要使用過當的警力，來保護學生。

野草莓重申，十二月七日的大遊行，三項訴求並未改變，總統馬英九及行政院長劉兆玄道歉、警政署長王卓鈞與國安局長蔡朝明下台，修改集遊法為自願報備制

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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC STATEMENT

AI Index No: ASA 38/001/2008
3 December 2008

Taiwan: Police should avoid using excessive force at upcoming protests

Amnesty International has urged Taiwan's police force to comply with international guidelines on the use of force and crowd control at the planned student protests on Sunday 7 December.

The organization also joins calls for the Control Yuan, the body mandated by the Taiwan Constitution with supervisory power over the Executive branch, to conduct an independent inquiry into alleged excessive police force during November's protests.

The Wild Strawberry Student Movement has staged sit-ins since 6 November to protest against what they consider the use of excessive force during the Taiwan visit of Chen Yunlin, chairman of the China-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait. Civil society groups in Taiwan are investigating multiple claims that individuals suffered head injuries and broken fingers at the hands of police during the protests.

According to police reports on 8 November, approximately 10,000 police officers had been deployed during Chen's visit; 149 police officers and 200-300 individuals were injured; 18 were arrested.

Taiwanese civil society groups claim that police have applied the Assembly and Parade Law arbitrarily to silence dissent. According to the students' spokesperson, they will not seek police approval, as required by the law, but will only "report" their plans to law enforcement authorities, in line with amendments advocated by the Movement.

The Movement is organizing the protest on Sunday 7 December to criticize the government's failure to amend the Assembly and Parade Law.

Amnesty International said Taiwan's Control Yuan should address the serious concerns raised by civil society in Taiwan and the government should cease the practice of using the Assembly and Parade Law to deny freedom of assembly and allow individuals to protest peacefully. Amnesty International also called on Taiwanese police and judicial authorities to ensure that they investigate any protesters accused of engaging in violence in a fair, transparent, and timely manner in compliance with international standards.

Background
On 3-7 November 2008, Chen Yunlin, chairman of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, led a 60-member delegation from the People's Republic of China to visit Taiwan and meet with President Ma Ying-jeou.

The police barred protesters displaying Taiwanese and Tibetan flags and anti-China slogans along the routes taken by the envoy and confiscated or damaged some of these items. The police also closed a shop near the hotel where Chen Yunlin had dinner with Kuomintang honorary chairman Lien Chan when the shop loudly broadcast music from an album titled 'Songs of Taiwan'.

There were additional reports of arbitrary detention and police brutality, some of which, according to the police, were in response to the violence of protesters.

Following the visit, hundreds of students have staged sit-ins across Taiwan protesting the police's handling of the protests and demanding amendments to the Assembly and Parade Law, which has been misused to prevent protests.

On 6 November the students started their sit-ins outside the offices of the Executive Yuan or (Executive branch), where they were eventually removed by police on the grounds of illegal assembly. They continued the sit-ins at the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall and organized a daily demonstration calling for immediate amendments to the Assembly and Parade Law, apologies from the president and head of government and the resignations of the heads of the police and national security.

On 18 November Taipei police announced a list of 66 "troublemakers", who had allegedly thrown gas bombs and stones at the police and spat at the Taichung mayor. There were also reports that the police had pressured journalists and their supervisors to hand over video tapes to identify suspects who allegedly took part in the violence.

END/

Public Document

For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org
International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW, UK
www.amnesty.org