Six inmates at a prison in southern Taiwan killed themselves Thursday morning, ending an overnight hostage situation, a Justice Ministry official said. Two prison staff members were released unharmed after being held for 14 hours at the Kaohsiung Prison, said the official, Chen Ming-tang, a vice minister in the Justice Ministry. The six inmates, who were all serving lengthy terms for crimes that included drug trafficking and murder, apparently complained about their living conditions to get a meeting with prison officials, whom they then took hostage on Wednesday, according to local news reports. The inmates later took firearms from a prison armory, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported. Taiwanese news outlets broadcast a series of demands from the men, including that they be provided with vehicles and that former President Chen Shui-bian, who was convicted of embezzlement and taking bribes in 2009, be returned to prison. Mr. Chen was released on medical parole in January. But early Thursday, the six inmates shot themselves, Mr. Chen, the ministry official, said in a brief televised interview. He provided few details about the episode.
A version of this brief appears in print on February 12, 2015, on page A8 of the New York edition with the headline: Taiwan: Six Prisoners Kill Themselves, Official Says. Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe
