State Compensation Claim by Lin Ming-hui, Victim of the March 23 Executive Yuan Violent Eviction ~ Post-Verdict Press Conference
Last edited: 2026-08-25
Today, the Taipei District Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff: the Taipei City Government shall compensate Teacher Lin Ming-hui NT$300,000. Below are the statements from the pro bono legal team and the plaintiff.
〈Statement by the Pro Bono Legal Team〉
We are grateful and full of admiration that Judge Yang K'un-ch'iao of the Taipei District Court Administrative Litigation Division ruled in favor of the plaintiff today.
A few days ago, reviewing the student movement documentaries published online—specifically in director Ch'en Yü-ch'ing's segment "I Grew Up Overnight"—I once again witnessed Teacher Lin falling helplessly to the ground with her eyes rolled back, while a police officer struck Teacher Lin Ming-hui's head with a baton. Teacher Lin had originally participated in a peaceful assembly through sitting-in and chanting slogans to support the anti-CSSTA students and masses in expressing their demands, yet she was treated like a bandit or an enemy to be eliminated at all costs.
Judge Ch'ien Chien-jung of the Taoyuan District Court once stated in a judgment that freedom of assembly is a means of communication between the people and the government or influential political figures. Through this method, the people can proactively offer opinions, participate in the formation of the state's will, or influence policy-making, and the state ought to guarantee it. In this incident, not only did the government fail to provide such guarantees, but it even inflicted violence upon unarmed citizens. The consequence of the state treating the rule of law as nothing is that it sows the seeds of ethnic division and shakes the foundation of democratic constitutionalism. Such bloody suppression events in the past have brought painful lessons to Taiwan, causing not only lifelong animosity for those involved but also triggering severe provincial and ethnic conflicts whose ripples persist to this day and remain difficult to resolve.
We are heartened that the court in this case timely corrected the government's unlawful and inappropriate actions. However, we believe that the Executive Yuan and the decision-maker at the time—namely, former Premier Chiang—should bear the ultimate responsibility for the improper decision to clear the site. This judgment failed to investigate and hold them accountable according to the law, which is regrettable, though we remain grateful for the hard work and efforts of Judge Yang K'un-ch'iao in this case.
〈Statement by Plaintiff Teacher Lin Ming-hui〉
Thank you to all our media friends for your concern and support.
First, I would like to borrow a passage written by Judge Yang K'un-ch'iao to express my respect to him: "Judiciary does not always lag behind legislators, public opinion, and social trends. Sometimes, the proactive and courageous nature of the judiciary is the starting point that leads social change and ideological revolution." I admire Judge Yang's professionalism and courage.
Secondly, I want to thank the many lawyers dedicated to public justice, the partners at the Judicial Reform Foundation, and friends who traveled back and forth within the judicial system for the Sunflower Student Movement. Your support and companionship gave me the courage to stand here.
When I initially decided to file the state compensation lawsuit, it was precisely to point out the errors in decision-making and law enforcement by the current government, which not only violate the spirit of democracy and the rule of law but also deviate from the expectations of public opinion. Making mistakes is not shameful; acknowledging and correcting them means we can still look forward to a more true, good, and beautiful future together. Regrettably, over the past year or more, the current government has not only failed to reflect upon itself, but has also become even more arbitrary and dictatorial. Particularly of late, the government's attitude toward the micro-adjustment of high school textbooks and its acts of excessive law enforcement and arbitrary arrests of students and journalists are even more disappointing. Fortunately, the ruling delivered today allows me to still hold hope for Taiwan's future.
In addition, I would like to share some heartfelt words with my grassroots police friends.
To all police officers, when your superiors demand you to carry out tasks that risk violating regulations, laws, or the constitution, you must take some self-protection measures or reactions. Do not foolishly execute orders simply by "following one command for every action." You must take the Sunflower Student Movement of last year and the recent anti-textbook high school student movement as cautionary tales. Once police officers exceed their authority in performing duties, they will inevitably face the risk of state compensation. This is an inevitability in a democratic and free country.
This is no longer the authoritarian era, yet many of your superiors still hold the mindset of authoritarian officials. Do not become tools they use to claim credit before politicians.
Especially after watching those police officers recently use brutal methods, violating the Police Use of Weapons Act, to arrest students who had no intention or actions of attacking or resisting, I began to regret not suing the foolish police officer who illegally smashed my head with a baton last year. I cannot help but wonder: should I also let those police officers who are foolish enough to willingly degrade themselves into mere tools receive the lesson they deserve?
Police friends, you engage in police work in a democratic and free country. You are unquestionably highly professional talents, and you are by no means tools for politicians or sycophantic high-ranking police officials. Remember, if you allow yourselves to degenerate into tools for politicians and sycophantic police officers, you become accomplices to this erroneous system.
However, I believe you are not; I choose to believe in your conscience. You should be professionals with independent judgment rather than disposable tools.
Finally, I want to emphasize that I completely support police officers forming a union. Only with an independent, autonomous, and soundly structured police union is it possible for Taiwan's police to truly become independent and autonomous professionals.
Bless you all. Thank you everyone.
Lin Ming-hui 2015.08.07
Attendees
Plaintiff／Teacher Lin Ming-hui
Pro Bono Legal Team／Attorney Ku Li-hsiung, Attorney Liu Chi-wei, Attorney T'ang Yü-ying
Press Contacts
318 Pro Bono Legal Team Attorney Liu Chi-wei
JRF Deputy Executive Director Attorney Ch'en Yü-fan 02-25231178
This article is an AI-generated translation of the original Chinese text. In the event of any discrepancy, the Chinese version shall prevail.