The National Security Bureau (NSB) on Saturday admitted to lapses in security for President Ma Ying-jeou. That’s after Ma was hit by a book thrown by a member of a political group on Friday.
The attack occurred as the president was preparing to leave a building following a reception. A group of reporters were waiting to ask him for his response to Chinese President Xi Jinping's advocacy of a "one country, two systems" formula to deal with Taiwan.
A man in a black shirt shouted "Taiwan and China, one country on each side," and threw a copy of "Formosa Betrayed," which hit Ma in the torso.
The man was quickly overtaken by bodyguards. Police asked him to leave the venue after identifying him.
After the incident, Presidential Office spokeswoman Ma Wei-kuo said the president respects the rights of the public to express opinions, but any form of violence should be condemned.
Meanwhile, the NSB issued a statement saying it was planning to take punitive action against those responsible for the oversight. The bureau said that it will strengthen measures to ensure the president's safety, and that the NSB personnel who failed to protect the president have been replaced.