Taiwanese comedian Huang Yi-hao was deliberately rammed by a vehicle in September. An unnamed Taiwanese national security source disclosed to Radio Free Asia that investigators found on the suspect's phone that the Chinese side explicitly requested that Huang Yi-hao be struck so hard that he would lose "hands and feet," rendering him unable to perform for at least one to two weeks.
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The source confirmed that the mastermind behind the incident, a Chinese national referred to as "K" by prosecutors, had entered Taiwan to deliver a mission and was in Taiwan at several key moments, including the day of the crash.
National security sources: The goal is to have Huang Yihao hospitalized for one to two weeks.
The New Taipei District Prosecutors Office indicted five Taiwanese men on Wednesday. According to the investigation, Zheng installed a GPS tracker on Huang Yi-hao's motorcycle, obtained his personal data, and handed it over to "K" in exchange for a down payment of NT$250,000. Subsequently, Zheng and his accomplices planned a staged car accident and ambushed Huang Yi-hao near his residence on September 11. One of them drove the car into Huang's motorcycle while another recorded the incident from the passenger seat as proof of the accident's success.
The driver stopped ramming Huang Yihao after hearing his screams. Huang Yihao only suffered a contusion to his right pelvis, which was not considered a serious injury. The perpetrators later obtained a medical certificate containing Huang Yihao's name, ID number, and injuries, took a photo of it, and sent it to "K" to request the remaining payment. However, "K" believed the injuries were too minor and refused to pay the remaining NT$200,000.
The New Taipei District Prosecutors Office indicted five people on charges including attempted aggravated assault and violation of the Personal Data Protection Act, and sought sentences ranging from two years and seven months to five years and six months or more.
National security sources told this station that information obtained by prosecutors from the suspect's phone showed that the Chinese side made clear demands regarding the outcome of the operation, not only to prevent Huang Yihao from performing in September, but also to cut off his livelihood by harming his body.
He analyzed that the injury originally expected by China was "at least to the point of hospitalization for one to two weeks," making it impossible for him to participate in the Taipei Camidi Comedy Club performance on September 20.
The source stated that "K," mentioned in the prosecution's indictment, had even entered Taiwan to deliver a mission. Immigration records confirm he is a Chinese national and was in Taiwan at several key points in the case, including the day Huang Yi-hao was hit.
Related report: A Taiwanese comedian was injured in a staged car accident in Wutai County, allegedly staged as part of a cross-border crackdown by the Chinese Communist Party.
Taiwan's National Security Bureau Director: Continued investigation into collaborating online networks
The national security official stated that the CCP has a history of contacting Taiwanese gangs or underworld figures to carry out intimidation and warning missions, and the two sides have long maintained various forms of exchanges.
However, he also analyzed that, regarding the Huang Yihao hit-and-run case, the reward wasn't high for traditional gangs and triads, but the risk was considerable. Therefore, the Chinese authorities ultimately found only individuals to carry out the mission. He said that those currently being prosecuted are mostly independent criminals with prior convictions. National security agencies believe these individuals may have accepted the mission without fully considering the risks due to financial incentives. Whether there is a larger force behind this still needs further investigation.
Liu Wenbin, former director of the Cross-Strait Situation Analysis Division of the Taiwan Investigation Bureau, told this station that a reasonable inference is that there are local collaborators in Taiwan helping to promote this intimidation case. Otherwise, how would the CCP find thugs from the vast sea of people? Even "how to pay" would be a problem.
Taiwan's National Security Bureau Director Tsai Ming-yen stated publicly on Thursday (22nd) during a Legislative Yuan meeting that the CCP's cross-border repression has seriously violated the bottom line of Taiwan's democratic and rule-of-law society. Currently, the local cooperation networks identified are mostly organized crime groups or private investigation agencies linked to organized crime. The National Security Bureau will investigate whether there are criminal groups behind these networks receiving instructions and funding from the CCP, and has requested the National Police Agency to conduct sweeps targeting specific gangs.
Tsai Ming-yen stated that the National Security Bureau's current local networks are mostly related to triads or private investigation agencies; those arrested in the Huang Yi-hao case are still at the executive level.
Regarding why Beijing is targeting a crosstalk performer with no specific political background, a state security official said the true purpose is difficult to fathom. However, he speculated that Huang Yihao's satirical jokes about Xi Jinping and the CCP regime may have already spread to China and resonated with the Chinese public.
Huang Yi-hao's comedy club, Camidi, was also vandalized with feces and paint in May of this year. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office investigation suggests that this case also involved Chinese nationals instigating Taiwanese individuals to commit the crime across borders.
An unnamed national security source stated that the Taiwanese perpetrators of the May feces-throwing incident and the September staged car accident incident were not the same group of people, but it cannot be ruled out that the two cases were directed by the same Chinese unit.
He pointed out that this car accident case is a rare example of cross-border repression cases handled jointly by Taiwanese police and investigative authorities. In the past, similar incidents were often investigated as ordinary car accidents or injury cases, but this time, the investigation was expanded from a national security perspective because the investigative authorities discovered that the mission was planned by Chinese individuals.
Current Taiwanese laws fail to reflect the nature of national security.
Huang Yi-hao's case is currently being prosecuted primarily on charges of attempted aggravated assault and violation of the Personal Data Protection Act. National security officials stated that Taiwan's current Anti-Infiltration Act mainly deals with illegal activities related to elections, referendums, political donations, and lobbying, conducted under the direction or funding of hostile foreign forces. When applying this law, it must also be proven that the person giving the instructions is connected to a foreign hostile party, government, military, or an organization under their control.
This person said that if "K" is ultimately identified as an ordinary Chinese civilian and cannot be proven to have a clear relationship with the CCP's party, government, and military systems, the current Anti-Infiltration Law may be difficult to apply.
However, Liu Wenbin said that although he also supports the establishment of relevant laws to address the forms of cross-border crime, Taiwan's legal authorities often flexibly use different laws to demand higher penalties. In other words, even if the laws against cross-border repression are insufficient, there are still ways to ensure that those involved receive the punishment they deserve, but of course, "it is still not enough."
National security experts believe that Taiwan could refer to the foreign agent or foreign influence transparency systems of countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, requiring those who represent foreign forces in political activities to register and disclose their relationships, so that law enforcement agencies can trace foreign funds, instructions, and local cooperation networks.
Tsai Ming-yen also stated that currently, most cross-border repression cases can only be investigated on charges such as assault, attempted assault, intimidation, insult, or violation of the Personal Data Protection Act. The National Security Bureau believes it is necessary to review the Anti-Infiltration Act and supports discussions on related amendments