By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Minister of Culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) has shown a lack of democratic values and arrogance in her criticism of a man who threw a shoe at President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) in protest, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers said yesterday.
Lung yesterday described as “bullying” the behavior of some protesters, who threw shoes and bags at Ma when he addressed a commemoration event for White Terror victims at the Jingmei Human Rights Memorial and Cultural Park in New Taipei City (新北市) on Monday.
“Have you heard of a mouse bullying a dinosaur? That’s how crazy [Lung’s comment] is,” DPP Legislator Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told a press conference in response to a reporter’s question.
A government official with administrative powers should be humble and introspective when he or she is criticized by the people, Tsai said.
“It’s ironic to say that a government official was bullied by an ordinary citizen,” he said.
Tsai said that protests and criticism of the government are the norm in any democracy and called on Ma to grasp the deeper meaning behind the protesters’ anger.
DPP Legislator Pan Men-an (潘孟安) said Lung should be ashamed of herself for the comment as someone who has embraced Western democracy for many years as an overseas writer.
“In response to people’s criticism, the first thing the government should do is not place the blame on the critics, but to take a look at itself,” Pan said.