TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Johanne Liou (劉喬安), dubbed as the "queen of the Sunflower Movement" (太陽花女王), was originally scheduled to be deported to Taiwan on Tuesday (March 4) before her case took a turn. Taiwanese police are aware of her situation, as Liou has sought political asylum and hired a lawyer. Relevant agencies are still negotiating her deportation.
Liou gained fame in 2014 during her participation in the huge student-led protest of the 2014 Sunflower Movement in Taiwan. However, she later became embroiled in controversies involving sex work and drug use before fleeing the country six years ago.
Mirror Weekly (鏡週刊) reported that her Hong Kong triad-linked boyfriend supported her lifestyle and evasion after fleeing to the U.S. Authorities arrested Liou in a Boston hotel on Jan. 22 for illegal residency, where she resisted arrest, displaying distress and incontinence, leading to her detention.
Lee Kun-ta (李昆達), head of the Criminal Investigation Bureau International Criminal Affairs Division (刑事局國際刑警科), noted that Liou fled to the U.S. in 2019 before a Taiwanese prosecutor issued a warrant for embezzlement. During her time abroad, she continued to post controversial content on social media and committed multiple drug offenses, resulting in warrants from five district prosecutor offices.
