`Traitor' taunts goad PFP to action

"It's the PFP's wish that, by formalizing legislation on this issue, we can reduce unnecessary wars of words."

Chang Hsien-yao, director of the PFP's Center of Policy Research

Pan-green on the loyalty of their blue-camp rivals have incensed the PFP to the extent that the pro-unification party now plans to introduce legislation to define what kind of action constitutes "selling-out" the country, and impose legal sanctions on those who suggest without sufficient evidence that anybody has committed such actions.

The pan-blues hope to neutralize issues regarding loyalty and patriotism in next year's presidential campaign.

The PFP's proposed legislation is the latest attempt by the pan-blues to change public perceptions of their loyalties since the debacle of PFP Legislator Kao Ming-chien's (高明見) participation in the World Health Organization's (WHO) global SARS conference in Kuala Lumpur last month.

Kao's sparked a furor in Taiwan since he had been invited on the recommendation of China and attended the conference -- until an outcry in Taiwan forced a change of stance -- as part of the Chinese delegation.

Kao's at the conference followed a series of moves by the legislator to bolster Beijing's claims to be responsible for, and working with, Taiwan in its fight against SARS, thereby undermining Taiwan's attempt to claim observer status in the WHO as an independent entity.

Kao been accused of betraying his country, and the PFP's initial support for his actions has resulted in the accusations being leveled at the party as a whole.

To try to change their image as stooges for China, the pan-blue camp made a 180-degree political pirouette on its referendum stance late last month when it decided to support legislation formalizing the holding of referendums, a move China is known to vehemently oppose.

The pan-blues agreed to the DPP administration's call for a referendum on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, WHO entry and a reduction in the number of seats in the legislature.

But now the pan-blues want to go beyond an attempt to rebrand themselves as committed to popular democracy in Taiwan.

They want to penalize those who suggest that they might be conspiring with China against Taiwan's national interests.

In a bid to avoid being branded again as "betraying Taiwan," Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀), director of the PFP's Center of Policy Research, said that his party is currently drawing up a draft bill that aims to give a clear definition of what acts would constitute "selling out Taiwan."

The bill will be presented in the next legislative session which begins on Sept. 5.

Chang that a great deal of political debate in Taiwan focussed on the issues of "loving Taiwan" and "selling out Taiwan."

"It's the PFP's wish that, by formalizing legislation on this issue, we can reduce unnecessary wars of words," said Chang, adding that the idea has received endorsement from the KMT.

Chang that the bill should also spell out punishments for any individual who falsely accuses others of "selling out Taiwan."

By through legislation, what constituted "selling out Taiwan" and punishing those who made false accusations Chang said that the law could prevent the DPP from impugning the patriotism and loyalty of the pan-blue parties in the presidential election next March, in which KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) will represent the pan-blue camp with Lien as the presidential candidate and Soong as his running mate.

Chiu Hei-yuan (瞿海源), a sociology professor at National Taiwan University, sees the bill as an election tactic.

"Like the pan-blue camp's sudden change of position in its stance concerning the referendum bill, the PFP's seemingly out-of-the blue `anti-betraying Taiwan bill' (反賣台條款) is actually again a political maneuver in view of coming presidential election next year," Chiu said.

The bill is also unnecessary, he said.

"While it is wrong for people to go around calling others names and accusing them of selling out Taiwan, on the other hand however, if such accusations are true, then there is already a law governing such acts, namely that of treason," Chiu said.

The question of Soong's loyalty toward Taiwan is however, the vice presidential candidate's electoral Achilles' heel, Chiu said.

"In view of 2004 presidential election drawing closer, the PFP needs the bill to protect Soong,.

TSU whip Chien Lin Whei-jun (錢林慧君) said there's no need for formalization of such bill because it holds no substantial meaning.

"Patriotism is an issue that lies within one's conscience. It can not be defined by mere words," said Chien Lin. "There can always be acts which constitute betrayal which have not been defined as such by the law."

Chien Lin agreed that next year's presidential election was the reason the PFP was moving to introduce the bill.

"The very fact that the PFP has initiated this so-called a `anti-betraying Taiwan' measure suggests that selling out Taiwan is an issue it is secretly feeling guilty about," said Chien Lin.