No limit on freedom of speech, media, Chen says

The DPP government is a staunch supporter of freedom of speech and had no intention of trying to limit the media, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday.

According to Presidential Office spokesman James Huang (黃志芳), Chen said the government had no right to try to interfere with or limit the media in any way.

The president's statement was a reaction to the recent proposal by the Government Information Office (GIO) to monitor the nation's press.

Huang said the president knew nothing about the scheme beforehand and only learned of it through media reports earlier this week.

The proposal was scrapped yesterday after fierce criticism from lawmakers.

The proposal put Chen in an awkward situation given that the DPP has had a long history advocating freedom of expression. Democracy activist Deng Nan-jung (鄭南榕) even gave his life in defense of "100 percent freedom of expression" 14 years ago.

A presidential aide said Chen did not know whether to support the GIO decision or not.

But the president's bottom line was that the government should not try to restrain the freedom of expression in any way, though he did not oppose the media monitoring idea per se.

There has been pressure within the government to rein in the media. Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) has said that irresponsible members of the media must be identified and judicial proceedings taken against them.

Both the KMT and PFP chairmen yesterday attacked the GIO scheme.

KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) accused the DPP of "making a terrible mistake."

Lien urged the DPP to be open-minded and to treat the media as "a friend of honesty."

PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) reminded Chen that the president had said "the country needs the media much more than the government."