The head of a political party in Penghu opposed to the legalization of casinos on the Taiwanese island has been the victim of an anonymous threat of violence.
A report in the English-language Taipei Times said Trees Party Chairman Sheng Yi Che’s car was vandalized with the words: “More opposition (brings) death to the whole family”—a threat Sheng said is aimed at the party’s campaign for a no vote on casinos in a referendum scheduled for October 15.
“I take any threat to my family very seriously, but such a move will not affect our beliefs or actions,” Sheng said. “The Trees Party and I will not surrender to violence and will continue to campaign against plans for a casino.”
Police were investigating, the Times said.
Gambling is illegal in Taiwan, but in January 2009, the national legislature passed an amendment to a law titled the Offshore Islands Development Act allowing outlying islands to establish casinos for the purposes of economic development if their residents vote in favor of them.
A referendum held in Penghu that same year was defeated, with 56 percent of voters opposed to legalization. Then, in July 2012, residents of the island of Matsu voted in favor of casinos, and supporters on Penghu redoubled their efforts to sell the idea. This year they collected enough signatures to authorize next month’s referendum.
Heading into that vote reports are that casino opponents outnumber supporters, but the gap is narrowing.
The Trees Party has been a vocal opponent since its founding in 2014 and has lobbied the central government to abolish the amendment to the Offshore Development Act. Reactions to its stand have been mixed among residents of Penghu. But the vandalism is the first time the criticism has come with a threat of violence.
“The referendum is tainted by this threat,” Sheng said. “It shows contempt for people’s right to engage in public discourse.”
