Offshoot of Diplomat’s Suicide in Osaka: Yang Prosecuted for Hiring Cyber Warriors to Defend Frank Hsieh

Offshoot of Diplomat’s Suicide in Osaka: Yang Prosecuted for Hiring Cyber Warriors to Defend Frank Hsieh

Source: UDN & China Times

December 3, 2019

The Kansai Airport in Japan was closed in early September of 2018 owing to Typhoon Jebi’s onslaught. Later, Su Chii-cherng (蘇啟誠), then director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Osaka, committed suicide at his residence in Osaka because of pressure, as he was heavily criticized by the public for failing to provide proper assistance to ROC nationals stranded at the airport. After investigating Su’s suicide case, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office (TDPO) determined that Slow Yang (楊蕙如) paid 10 cyber warriors, including Tsai Fu-ming (蔡福明), NT$10,000 (US$333) apiece per month to refute remarks against Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), the ROC’s top representative to Japan, on social media, creating fake messages that ROC diplomats stationed in Osaka were incompetent so as to manipulate online public opinions. Yesterday, Yang and Tsai were indicted on charges of insulting government agency and civil servants by the TDPO.

When Frank Hsieh ran for president in 2008 as DPP’s standard bearer, Slow Yang, who had made herself a name as a credit card prodigy, served as Internet chief executive officer of Hsieh’s campaign team. Therefore, Yang had a close relationship with Hsieh, and was also a key DPP figure involved in Internet operations.

KMT legislative party whip Tseng Ming-chung (曾銘宗) indicated that the prosecution showed that the criminal justice system confirmed that the DPP’s hiring of cyber warriors was indeed true. Tseng also indicated that Frank Hsieh, who played an important role in this matter, must return to Taiwan to clearly explain everything to the public. Alex Tsai (蔡正元), a KMT deputy secretary-general, stated that Hsieh’s political responsibility should be investigated.

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