On November 6, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chung Chia-pin, aggressively checked the identification of China Times News Network reporter Guo Jiquan, grabbing at his interview pass and questioning his identity as a reporter. International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Association of Taiwan Journalists (ATJ) in condemning the politician’s behaviour and calling on the Legislative Yuan to protect the safety of journalists on duty.
During a financial committee meeting of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan on November 6, politician Chung Chia-pin forcibly grabbed the interview pass of journalist Guo Jiquan, questioning its validity. The reporter had been accepted into the legislature after an inspection by law enforcement, a requirement prior to entry, and was filming Chung and other politicians amid minor physical clashes between elected officials.
Despite Chung’s attempts to explain the misunderstanding, Chung refused to return the reporter’s identification. The matter was only resolved following intervention from fellow journalists. Representatives from opposition political parties have condemned the incident, while Chung has claimed that he want to speak with the journalist privately to resolve the matter.
This altercation follows a similar case in September 11, amidst anti-corruption investigations into People’s Party Chairperson Ko Wenzhe. During the political commentary program ‘Lu Xiufang Evening News’, former legislator Cai Zhengyuan claimed that Sanli News reporter Ma Yuwen had received exclusive interviews and information through sleeping with key figures. The ATJ rebuked the remarks as sexist and undermining Ma’s personal dignity, calling on Cai to issue a public apology.