Democracy is a relatively new thing in Taiwan. So is freedom of the press, a cornerstone of democracy. Although Taiwanese are just getting a taste of this precious freedom, recent events have compelled them to grapple with its boundaries.
First, after an explosive entry into the Taiwan market and a series of controversial exclusives, the offices of Next magazine (
Then, on Friday, Power News (勁報) reported that one of its staffers was being investigated by a military prosecutor for publishing confidential information, and the military officer who allegedly leaked the information has received a nine-year prison sentence.
These two cases indicate the potential threat to freedom of the press in Taiwan. These cases also highlight the troublesome issue of how to draw a fine line between press freedom and other interests such as individuals' privacy rights and national security.
Certainly, Next is not, perhaps, a beacon of journalistic integrity and professionalism. Tactics used by the magazine's scoop-hungry staff include bumper-to-bumper tailgating that endangers lives, taping activities in private gatherings with a hidden camera, and efforts to break into the presidential residence.
Nevertheless, no justification could possibly exist for the "private justice" carried out by gangsters. The magazine may have intruded into the privacy of some celebrities beyond legally permissible bounds. However, if violence and threats are used to contain paparazzi-style news reporting about issues that are, frankly, inconsequential, then imagine the impact on more professional journalists.
Under the circumstances, swift action must be taken by law enforcement authorities to capture and punish the culprits. The law must provide more effective protection for legitimate privacy rights so that no one feels the need to resort to "private justice."
The Power News case reveals a relationship between freedom of the press and national security complicated by a unique cross-strait relationship. During the first four decades of KMT rule in Taiwan, the military was taught unwavering loyalty to Chiang Kai-shek (
However, the waning of the Chiang family's power, the transfer of power to the DPP and the recent "China fever" of Taiwan businessmen and politicians, together, has created a severe loyalty problem in the military.
The case of Major Liu Chih-chung (劉持中), who was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment yesterday for revealing information about Taiwan's military affairs to the Power News looks like a particularly egregious threat to Taiwan's press freedom. The information that was passed on could in no way have endangered Taiwan's security but was highly embarrassing to the military itself. Apparently the military has the right to try and sentence anyone who tries to blow the whistle on its manifest incompetence by talking to the press. Power News representatives have accused the defense ministry of using national security laws in a draconian way for the crime, though it hardly merits the name, of causing the military embarrassment. We agree and hope that this issue might be addressed swiftly at the very highest level before Taiwan's press freedoms are compromised even more.
Henry Hyde, chairman of the US House International Relations Committee, was absolutely right in pointing out before he ended his three-day trip to Taiwan on Friday that Taiwan's democracy is its most effective weapon against China. At the very core of democracy is freedom of the press. This freedom must be carefully protected.
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