Fridae

Nine civil-rights organisations in Taiwan said on 20 October that they planned to take complaints about the police search of a Taipei gay bar to the Interior Ministry and the Control Yuan, the government oversight body.

In a joint statement published by the Judicial Reform Foundation, the groups said Taipei City Government had not given a substantive response to calls for an independent inquiry by 19 October. That was the deadline set by Taiwan Pride organisers, covered in Fridae’s earlier report.

The coalition wants a public investigation report, scrutiny of possible criminal and administrative responsibility, and changes to police training and management. Its nine signatories include Amnesty International Taiwan and the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights.

The groups urged the Interior Ministry to have the National Police Agency examine both the search and the subsequent handling of complaints. They asked the Control Yuan to review the responsibility of officers and supervisors, with records preserved and affected people heard.

The dispute follows the 3 October search of Commander D in Ximending. Police have maintained that the search was lawful while acknowledging inappropriate remarks by officers. On 13 October, City Hall told Central News Agency that Mayor Chiang Wan-an had already apologised and ordered police to review the operation and establish responsibility.

The groups also called for legislation expressly protecting a lawyer’s presence during searches.