This past week the local news television stations have been buzzing about a story in which at least 9 policemen were recorded on camera to be associating with gangsters in a private nightclub in Taichung city.
The story breaking two weeks before the election isn’t a coincidence, and is influencing public opinion. But there’s no new insight here for locals as to their being strong links between known criminal elements and the police force and/or government.
Four or five years ago while entertaining some friends from Mansfield, Ohio, one them asked to be taken around to a local police station in Taichung. He just happened to be the chief of police in his town back in Ohio and wanted nothing more than to introduce himself to his counterpart in the local police station and maybe drink a cup of tea with them. When I introduced this gentleman the officers present wanted nothing to do with him. Don’t know if they were just embarrassed with associating with foreigners, or if there might have been a fear of being exposed of something else. We met with similar responses in two places.
A few days later on that particular trip we were escorting our guests back to the airport and had to spend the night in a motel a half hour from the airport to accommodate everyone’s early morning departure.
That night I went back down to the kiosk outside the motel rooms to get an internet cable for my computer. I was shocked to see 3 or 4 police cars come screaming over, put a sign on the kiosk and rope it off in what was evidently a raid.
A while later I went back down again because I still needed my internet cable. I assumed the police had left as I didn't see their squad cars. Knocking on the door, I opened it and went it only to see a couple of cops standing over the attendant, who had taken a big wad of money out of the cash register/drawer and was in the process of counting it. I received my cable and quickly and quietly made my exit….
May God somehow help some of the most honest and upright politicians to win this Saturday. Please pray for Taiwan’s election.
