Kaohsiung Prison riot
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Head warden released: 12 February 2015, 5:00 a.m. (UTC+8)[2]
 Riot police on stand by outside of Kaohsiung Prison | |
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| Time | First two guards taken: 11 February 2015, 4:30 p.m. (UTC+8)[1] Head warden released: 12 February 2015, 5:00 a.m. (UTC+8)[2] |
|---|---|
| Location | Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
| Motive | Protest of Chen Shui-bian's medical parole |
The Kaohsiung Prison riot was a hostage situation that occurred at Kaohsiung Prison in Taiwan starting 11 February 2015. Six inmates, whose ringleader was a member of Bamboo Union,[3] seized weapons, including assault rifles, and took the warden hostage for a 14-hour high-profile stand-off, which caught media attention nationwide. The group of inmates eventually committed mass suicide.[4] The inmates protested that the former President of the Republic of China Chen Shui-bian, who was jailed for 20 years for money laundering, was granted medical parole due to his status as a political prisoner[5][6] while other prisoners were denied. This is the first ever prison riot with officials held hostage in the history of Taiwan.[7][8]