Su: If Prosecuted, Shall Request President Tsai to Testify as Witness
United Daily News, December 18, 2020
Clinical psychiatrist Su Wei-shuo, who asserted that ractopamine is harmful to human body, has allegedly “had his water meter checked” (a euphemism for certain citizen being visited by police in a gesture of intimidating political dissenters), and this incident led several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civic groups to stand out in support of Doctor Su. Su said that the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen can send him to jail but cannot change the fact that the ractopamine is harmful to human health.
Doctor Su was requested by a written notice to pay a visit to a designated police office to explain the accusation by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) against him. The MOHW reported the doctor to the police under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, a law with a penalty up to three years sentence in jail, for spreading untrue rumors to the general public. Doctor Su expressed that such an accusation against him not only serves to intimidate himself but also other doctors numbering some 30,000 in Taiwan. Even if the Tsai administration sends him to jail, it cannot change the fact that ractopamine is harmful to health. If he is summoned, he will request President Tsai as the witness to testify.
The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Taipei City Councilman Luo Chi-chiang and some other councilors will surrender themselves to the police office tomorrow as a move to support Doctor Su. Councilor Luo asserted that ractopamine is poisonous to health on the basis that President Tsai, when she was in opposition, had once in the protest parade holding a sign board “Ractopamine Beef is Poisonous.” Doctor Su said yesterday that he was grateful for those standing by in his side, however, he would not echo Luo’s move, in a hope not to miss the focus of public issue. “Politics is not what I like neither good at,” said Su.
The summon of Doctor Su by the Sanming District Second Police Station of Kaohsiung was scheduled at 10 PM on December 25. Su said that he cannot bear to make the police office in difficult position for this case. He will bring the booklet “To Reveal the Ractopamine Safety Myth” to explain to the police. He had sent the booklets to President Tsai, the MOHW, and others. As the father of three children, he will stand out to safeguard the health of next generation. As a medical doctor, he will speak out the truth based on his intellectual conscience.
Doctor Su expressed that if being questioned by police, he would request President Tsai Ing-wen to testify as a witness because in 2009 while she led the opposition party, Tsai led a mass protest parade in the name of “Against the Poisonous Ractopamine Beef”. At that time the opposition straightly call the beef with ractopamine residual as “poisonous beef.” Now he can prove that ractopamine is poisonous with scientific evidences. Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai is an expert in the area of public health. He should know that prevention is the hard core of public health policy. While all the world is skeptical to the safety of ractopamine, Doctor Su’s worry is not exaggerated or alarmist talk but commentary supported by scientific evidence.
Doctor Su mentioned that in 2012, then opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator and whip Ker Chien-ming invited him to the Caucus Meeting to report the harmfulness of ractopamine to human body. DPP legislators absolutely understand the risks of ractopamine and its threat to health. He would like to tell this unsaid story. What he has commented were all based on solid ground of scientific thesis. The accusation by the MOHW against him is to oppress dissents, and with no intention to explore the truth of ractopamine. He felt sad that the MOHW is manipulating the police in order to intimidate the people.
Lee Chien-chen, a spokesman of “Alliance for Anti-ractopamine Poisonous Pork,” said that in order to implement the decision made by President Tsai, Premier Su Tseng-chang has guaranteed a strictly control over the ractopamine pork, yet few DPP legislators dare to standout to support the policy. In order to realize this controversial policy, the DPP eventually bulldozed the general public opinion. It is a tragedy of democracy.
Lin Zi-wen, a leader of “Autumn Struggle”, a regular protest activity in every Autumn held by leaders of NGOs and civil societies who represent the interests of labor and farmers, stated that when the government is deaf to the public voice, the only way is to mobilize the people go to street to protest. Lin will initiate the “Eulogy for Democracy: Silent Night Parade” on December 25, as to invite the people to dress black shirt and hold candles to surround the Legislative Yuan and the Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building. It will be a silent protest to the autocratic regime.
Lin also expressed that the night before the Legislature Yuan to vote, he will stay vigilant whole night showing his will to protest. On December 31, New Year’s Eve, the evening before the date lifting the ban of importing ractopamine pork, he will lead the people to hold a rally entitled “Last Night of Pork Meat-ball Soup,” in order to enjoy the last ractopamine-free midnight delicacy.
As an effort to dissuade the government’s policy of lifting the ban for American pork with ractopamine residual, Doctor Su has repeatedly made public comments that the ractopamine is harmful to health. However, the MOHW has considered his comments untrue rumors. Therefore, the Deputy Minister of Health Hsueh Jui-yuan accused that Doctor Su’s comments may cause public panic, and according to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, Doctor Su may face a sentence of up to three years imprisonment.