Taiwan, the World Still Turns; Partial Resolution of the Sean Lien Shooting

Saturday May 12, by Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

About a year and a half ago, if one recalls, Lien Chan's son, Sean Lien, was shot at a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rally where he had gone to support the local KMT candidate. Today, the court came up with its verdict on Lin Cheng-wei--the shooter; he was sentenced to 24 years in prison. While Sean Lien survived the shooting with the bullet passing through his cheek, another man in the crowd was hit by the deflected bullet and died. Thus the court's ruling gave some resolution but left much unanswered.

On Sean Lien's part, there was question of whether he was the intended target or the target was the man he was helping to get elected. Further there was question whether Lin Cheng-wei acted alone or was he following someone's orders. In either case, what was his motive etc.?

It was a strange case; the police had the shooter, the murder weapon, one wounded victim and secondly a dead body, hundreds of witnesses etc. etc. and yet this is all they came up with after a year and a half. Not even touched in the case was the matter of to what extent the KMT used the shooting to try and gain sympathy for their candidates in Five Cities Elections taking place at the time.

The prosecutors will appeal for a heavier sentence; this case is far from over.