Letter: Lee Yuan-tseh's mistake

Former Academia Sinica president Lee Yuan-tseh's (李遠哲) recent request that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) step down was a misguided bullet and the person who ended up being shot was Lee, because:

1. He did not correctly read the Taiwanese people and did not understand what they really want. Taiwanese people want more than just democracy.

2. He overestimated himself. Knowing chemistry better than everybody in Taiwan does not mean that he knows more about politics than everybody else. He did not learn from the so-called green scholars and the embarrassing Shih Ming-teh (施明德) incident.

3. He did not know that he has been engulfed in a political conflict which is part of the pan-blue strategy. This is a political issue -- not a judicial or moral one.

4. He did not know that the resignation of presidents or prime ministers -- such as in Israel and the Palestinian Territories -- would not change the nature of the conflict. A change of president in Taiwan would therefore not alter the nature of the conflict between the pan-green and pan-blue camps.

5. Lee undermined his outstanding achievements and the attendant reputation that he has built over the past 60 years.

As a consequence of his misguided comments, Lee could very well fade into obscurity and, sadly, be forgotten by the Taiwanese both at home and overseas.

Ken S. Huang

California