Taiwan Authorities Act Swiftly: Man Detained for Spreading False Flag Message Regarding Taipei City's Sports Event

A Facebook post alleging a ban on the Taiwanese flag at a Taipei City sports event leads to rapid police action and arrest.

Taipei, Taiwan - In a move highlighting the vigilance of Taiwan's authorities against the spread of misinformation, police have detained a man for publishing a false message concerning a Taipei City sporting event. The incident involved a Facebook post that alleged a ban on the Taiwanese flag at the event, while supposedly allowing the display of the flag of the People's Republic of China. The post quickly circulated online, causing confusion and concern.

The false information was initially shared at around 9:00 AM on November 11th by the Facebook page "Parliamentary Investigation Corps, Citizen Deliberation - Legislative Supervision Zone". The fabricated claim, attributed to Mayor of Taipei, 蔣萬安 (Chiang Wan-an), stated that "Chiang Wan-an's major announcement: the national flag cannot appear in the Taipei City sports event, but it's okay for the audience to bring the five-star flag". This post was widely disseminated by groups with specific political leanings, leading to significant disruption and concern for city officials.

The Taipei City Sports event's executive committee confirmed the information to be false, prompting an immediate response from the Taipei City Police Department. A special task force was formed, and after gathering relevant data, the Taipei City Criminal Investigation Division's Fifth Squad took action. 黄男 (Huang Nan), a 49-year-old man with a prior conviction for document forgery, was summoned for questioning.

During questioning, 黄男 (Huang Nan), who claimed to run his own media outlet, admitted to posting the false information but declined to specify his motivation or goals. The police, following the questioning, have referred the case to the Zhonghe Branch of the New Taipei City Police Department, where 黄男 (Huang Nan) resides, for the imposition of penalties under Article 63, Paragraph 1, Clause 5 of the Social Order Maintenance Act, which pertains to "spreading rumors sufficient to affect public tranquility."

It has been reported that when police arrived at Huang Nan's home in the Zhonghe District of New Taipei City, he and his wife were surprised by the police investigation. The Taipei City Police Department has used the incident to remind citizens to be cautious in their online communications and to refrain from spreading false information, emphasizing that those who use the internet to spread such messages will be subject to legal consequences.