Taiwan McDonald's bombings

The Taiwan McDonald's bombings (Chinese: 麥當勞爆炸案; pinyin: màidāngláo bàozhà àn; lit. 'McDonald's bombing incidents') occurred on April 28 and 29, 1992, in which bombs were planted in or near seven McDonald's restaurant franchises in Taiwan.

In response to the bombings, McDonald's temporarily closed all 57 restaurants in Taiwan. One policeman was killed and four civilians were injured in the attacks. The police officer was killed when the bomb he was defusing exploded. Another bomb detonated in the Taipei suburb of Yonghe and caused injuries to two young children and two McDonald's employees who were investigating a ticking sound. Five other small explosive devices were found in Kaohsiung and Taipei on April 28 and 29, four of them inside or near McDonald's restaurants. One exploded but caused no injuries.

An anonymous telephone caller demanded US$240,000 from Quanti Foods, which operates the McDonald's chain in Taiwan. The company refused to negotiate or pay the ransom and closed all its restaurants island-wide while police conducted their search. A reward of US$20,000 was offered for information on the bombings.

Chen Hsi-Hsieh, a plumber, was convicted of murder and extortion for his responsibility of the McDonald's bombings. He was sentenced to life in prison by a Taipei District Court on November 25, 1992. His accomplice, Pan Che-Ming, was sentenced to 15 years and 6 months for providing the explosives and harboring Chen. The bombs were detonated by use of a Tilt fuze.

See also

• Extortion