Thu, Dec 11, 2003 page8

• Editorial: Pan-blue media in a time warp

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  Taiwan lifted martial law many years ago, but the pan-blue media, which represent the feudal forces, apparently have not lifted their martial law. Over the past few days, many foreigners who witnessed the martial-law era were back in Taiwan to attend seminars and visit the places where human-rights violations were committed. Many of these people had been blacklisted by the authorities because of their sympathy for Taiwan's democracy movement.

  Today, there is a different political party in power. We believe these friends of Taiwan must be very sad as they look back at the past. But the absence of other friends from the "A Journey of Remembrance and Appreciation" conference has raised some questions. One person notable by her absence was Tina Chou (周清月), who reported from Taipei for the Associated Press.

  Chou's reporter's license was revoked by the Government Information Office (GIO) after she voiced suspicions in her reports about the role of the Taiwan Garrison Command in the 1981 death of Carnegie Mellon associate professor Chen Wen-cheng (陳文成). No explanation for Chou's absence has been given. She may have had her own reasons for not coming. But given that the head of the GIO at the time of Chen's murder was none other than People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), now the pan-blue camp's vice presidential candidate, one has to wonder if an effort was made to avoid raising yet another example of Soong's questionable past.

  Even setting aside the question of whether Soong's personal fears may have somehow influenced Chou's decision, it is clear the pan-blue media -- including the China Times and the United Daily News -- still have the martial law mindset of Soong's GIO days. Neither paper saw a need to report on the conferences or the visits of so many old foreign friends. It is as if these papers exist in some parallel universe.

  Most voters are forgetful -- and conservative. This is why corrupt and venal officials can still get elected by re-packaging themselves. Martial law was lifted more than 10 years ago but the roles that Soong and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) played during that period are fresh in the minds of the victims. The pan-blue media, however, is trying to foster a public amnesia. How can they bring up Soong's role -- or Chan's -- as an accomplice in the martial law era?

  Indeed, Soong has been the eternal "Director-General Soong" of the GIO. The pan-blue media's journalistic judgments are based on Soong's personal interests. This reminds us of a comment from KMT spokesperson Alex Tsai (蔡正元), who said the pro-Taiwan Liberty Times is a propaganda brochure for the DPP. In light of the behavior of the pan-blue media, Tsai's remarks would be laughable if the situation weren't so pathetic.

  For 50 years people were used to reading the pro-China pan-blue media. They view the pan-blue media's ideological framework as normal and take it for granted. They don't notice the brainwashing going on. Any media with a Taiwanese awareness are criticized as "extremist" and "biased."

  The furor over the Special Report VCDs showed just how petulant the pan-blue media -- and politicians -- can be when its weaknesses and bias are exposed. They can dish it out, but they can't take it. The VCD incident reminds us: the message disseminated by the pan-blue media, which represent the ancien regime, is full of poison.
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