Two months after the demolition of Cheung's pharmacy in Tai Po, Cheung Sam-man died; public opinion criticizes tyranny for killing people

Since the Dapu farmland-destruction incident three years ago, Zhang Senwen, owner of the Zhang family pharmacy and one of the "Dapu Four Households" who had long suffered mental torment, drowned on the very day that marked two full months since the Miaoli County government forcibly demolished the Zhang family pharmacy. Cai Peihui, spokesperson for the Taiwan Rural Front, said that so far the Dapu development project has claimed two lives: after the excavators destroyed the fields in 2010, the farmer Zhu Fengmin sat every day beside the sheet-metal fence gazing at her vegetable garden, fell into depression and took her own life by poison; today Zhang Senwen was driven to a dead end as well. "This is murder by tyranny!"

Zhang Senwen's wife, Peng Xiuchun, said in grief that because of the shadow of the forced demolition, Zhang Senwen had long been in a state of mental tension, and the family had always worried he might do something drastic; they never imagined that "still, we could not spend the Mid-Autumn Festival together."

A full moon but no reunion: Zhang Yuanhao weeps bitterly

Zhang Yuanhao said that today marks two full months since his home was forcibly demolished, and that on this same day last year (the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival), supporters from various places had held an event in front of the Zhang pharmacy called "Full Moon, Family Reunion, Protect the Dapu Homeland," sending mooncakes to Ma Ying-jeou's mother in the hope that Ma Ying-jeou would understand the feelings of a man who also has an elderly mother, show mercy and not forcibly demolish the Zhang pharmacy. But in the end it did not turn out as they wished. He cried out, "Dad, why did you have to choose this day to leave!" Supporters who had rushed over from various places could not hold back their tears.

Peng Xiuchun said that three years ago, a large force of police and excavators happened to pass by the Zhang family's door on their way to the fields to destroy the rice ears. After Zhang Senwen witnessed this scene with his own eyes, "he packed his bundle every day, ready to flee for his life," and from then on could not sleep at night, under constant threat of the mental pressure of forced relocation. Peng Xiuchun and Zhang Yuanhao had watched over and comforted Zhang Senwen day and night for the past several months, hoping he could settle his emotions.

After Zhang Senwen went missing at 2 a.m. today, the family was very worried, "afraid he might do something drastic like Grandma Zhu Fengmin," and searched for him everywhere in tears. At around 1 p.m. today, he drowned in the drainage ditch beside Datong Junior High School near his home.

On the eve of the forced demolition of the Zhang pharmacy this July, Zhang Senwen felt that as the head of the household he was unable to protect the place where his family lived, and he broke down emotionally many times at the protest site. When police forcibly removed the supporters protesting in front of the Executive Yuan, Zhang Senwen even fainted once and was taken to hospital. He was then sent to the psychiatric ward of Shin Kong Hospital under guard because of emotional instability; on July 18, when his home was forcibly demolished, he was still in hospital.