When the story of Pai Hsiao-yen's kid-napping broke, parents and children all over Taiwan were in awful suspense. Then, their worst nightmares were confirmed by the news of her murder. Its brutality unleashed a surge of public shock and anger which had been pent up since the still-unsolved killings of Liu Pang-you and Peng Wan-ju, and which was expressed in a furious roar against the twisted state of society. How can those in positions of power restore the public's confidence in Taiwan? Just what has gone wrong with Taiwanese society?

On 14 April Pai Hsiao-yen, only child of well-known singer and TV personality Pai Ping-ping, was kidnapped on her way to school. The same day, Pai Hsiao-yen's kidnappers cut off one of her little fingers and sent it to her mother with a photograph and a demand for a US$5 million ransom. Out of concern for the hostage's safety, the police held back the story until 26 April. But heartbreakingly, the kidnappers had already killed Pai Hsiao-yen between 18 and 20 April.

Because of Pai Ping-ping's prominence and the criminals' brutality towards their defenseless teenage victim, the case released a surge of pent up fear and anger throughout the nation over the declining state of law and order.

Opinions polls taken after the kidnapping became public showed over 90% of mothers as being worried about their children's safety; the prestige of senior government officials fell to rock bottom.

In the last days of April, all Taiwan's news media gave blanket coverage to the case. In leading articles, special commentaries and public discussion forums, analysis and insights were offered. An editorial in the China Times on 30 April was very representative in the directions it proposed for self-examination and improvement: Firstly, we should "rebuild our system of values, rebuild the humanity of people in Taiwan."

The leader also said specifically that if several major criminal cases could first be solved, letting the public know that the government has the resolve and ability to crack down on crime, people's fears would naturally be calmed; however, the lack of adequate forensic skills is evidently the greatest weakness of Taiwan's police. If cases are not solved, criminals will feel that luck is on their side, and serious crime may proliferate.

The leading article emphasized that "to rebuild the security network throughout Taiwan is a matter of great urgency," and concluded: "Our government must also have sufficient ability to realize its own failings, and such an ability is expressed in officials' willingness to accept responsibility." The article called on the officials involved to demonstrate their acceptance of responsibility by resigning.

While this castigation by the media was still in full swing, on 4 May over 130 civic organizations took part in a "March for Taiwan" organized by Eden Social Welfare Foundation founder Liu Hsia and led by Humanistic Education Foundation director Shih Ying, feminist scholar Liu Yu-hsiu, lawyer Lin Yi-hsiung and others. On 18 May, 500 civic groups again came together for a "March for the Love of Taiwan."

These two marches elicited an ardent response from people in all sectors of society, including children, students, women's groups, charities and political groups. For many it was the first time they had taken part in a demonstration. Tens of thousands of people holding placards bearing slogans such as "Anger," "Protest" or "Anguish," demanded that "the president should admit he is at fault and dismiss the cabinet." The demonstration was of a size rarely seen in recent years. It passed off peacefully in an atmosphere of rationality, but the solemnity and angry forcefulness with which its demands were expressed shook the whole nation.

In response to the 4 May demonstration, the Office of the President specially brought forward to 15 May President Lee's press conference to mark the completion of his first year in office since the first direct presidential elections. At the conference, President Lee again apologized to the nation for the law and order problems, and stated that in the future, as well as the police and judiciary being required to build up an effective system to guarantee law and order, the branches of the armed forces responsible for coastal defense, and the military police, should also cooperate fully in dealing with drug trafficking and smuggling. The president stressed: "Law and order is one of our most important national policies at present."

With regard to public dissatisfaction with the administration's performance, the president also stated that once the present round of constitutional reforms was completed it should create a better balance in the structure and operations of the central government, and improve government efficiency. Vice-President Lien Chan would then no longer have to also act as premier, and the relationship between and the powers and responsibilities of the President, the Executive Yuan and the Legislative Yuan would be clearer.

As well as President Lee making several public apologies to the nation, the Government Information Office also called a press conference at which GIO Director-General Su Chi pointed to the achievements of the Lien cabinet over the past four years, yet stressed that the public's ever-higher expectations of the government meant that it could not afford to be complacent. He also asked the public not to negate all the government's efforts on the basis of one or two major crimes. At the same time, Premier Lien Chan submitted his resignation to the president to show his acceptance of responsibility, and also answered the public's questions and doubts directly on a TV call-in show, thus showing the government's genuine desire to soothe public anger, and to bridge the gap in public confidence. Lien Chan also said that because the constitutional reforms had not yet been completed he had accepted the president's request that he withdraw his resignation, and that he would also take responsibility for solving the present chaotic state of law and order. Once the constitutional reform process was completed in July, he would step down from the premiership immediately.

To go further towards meeting the public's demands, Premier Lien first undertook a partial cabinet reshuffle to show his resolve to accept responsibility. With effect from 15 May, minister without portfolio Yeh Chin-feng took over from Lin Feng-cheng as Minister of the Interior; Council of Agriculture Chairman Chiu Mao-ying was replaced by Peng Tso-kui, Dean of the College of Agriculture at National Chunghsing University; Hsu Chieh-kui, formerly Executive Vice-Minister at the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, was appointed to the chairmanship of the Council of Labor Affairs, which had been vacant since Hsieh Shen-shan had resigned to prepare to run for election as chief executive of Taipei County; and GIO Director-General Su Chi was promoted to minister without portfolio, to be replaced at the GIO by his deputy, Li Ta-wei.

Despite these various moves by the government, even more members of the public took part in the 18 May demonstration, and on 24 May the Humanistic Education Foundation, which had organized both highly successful marches, along with 60 to 70 other organizations all with different goals, staged a further all-night silent sit-down protest outside the Presidential Palace to express the public's dissatisfaction. Why was this? What could the government do to regain the public's confidence?

"Ice a yard thick doesn't come from one day's frost"-the decline in law and order had not happened overnight, and both the media and the members of the public who took to the streets repeatedly admonished the government to quickly solve these few incomparably brutal criminal cases and to give the public a safe environment in which to live and work, so that parents and teachers need not constantly fear for the safety of children. In this rapidly changing society, at this moment when everyone's hearts are filled with pain and anger, well-meaning and sincere words and actions are not enough to set the public's minds at rest. Only concrete results, with rewards for the good and punishment for the evil, will let people once again feel able to show their love for Taiwan by staying here and putting down roots, and not by getting up and "marching" out!

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With several major crimes unsolved, the public took to the streets to express their frustration and anger. (photo by Pu Hua-chih)