President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) came under fire yesterday after the publication of an open letter by a group of international academics and observers of Taiwanese politics, who expressed concern over the lack of evenhandedness and impartiality in the judicial system’s handling of a corruption case against former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝).
The letter, signed by 39 academics and published in the Taipei Times (Letter, Aug. 2, page 8), expressed concern about “erosion of justice and democracy in Taiwan” as exemplified by the corruption case against Lee, who was charged on June 30 with embezzling US$7.8 million from secret diplomatic funds.
The letter said the timing of the charges, which came 16 years after the alleged events took place, was questionable and added that the indictment was likely brought because of Lee’s outspokenness on current political issues, in particular the January presidential election.
They also said that “the problem with the administration of secret diplomatic funds appears to be systemic, primarily because of the lack of transparency associated with the funds and vague guidelines for their use,” and if Lee was indicted, other high-ranking officials at the time should also be investigated.
The signatories urged the Ma administration to “ensure that the judicial system is held to the highest standards of objectivity and fairness.”
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said yesterday that the Lee case was not the first time that the Ma administration has pursued charges against pan-green politicians nor was the letter the first time foreign observers have expressed concern about judicial practices under the Ma government.
“When a leader uses the judiciary as a tool to rule, we don’t see much difference between this leader and [Nazi leader] Adolph Hitler,” Chen said.
Chen urged Ma to respond seriously to the open letter seriously because judicial practices under his administration have jeopardized public trust in judicial integrity and have hurt Taiwan’s global image.
A previous letter signed by 34 international observers, including former American Institute in Taiwan chairman Nat Bellocchi, in April expressed similar concerns regarding charges that thousands of documents had gone missing under prominent former DPP officials. At the time, the Presidential Office denied the charges were “politically motivated” and said the accusation in the open letter was “groundless.”
Presidential Office spokesman Fan Chiang Tai-chi (范姜泰基) said yesterday that Ma had on numerous occasions stressed his respect for the judiciary and promised not to interfere with individual cases.
“For President Ma, judicial independence is a crucial line of defense in a democratic nation and it requires a joint effort by the government, the opposition parties and the public to protect it,” he said. “Time will prove that President Ma has always respected the judicial process and that there is judicial independence.”
Ma had made similar statements on Lee’s indictment in a press conference last month, saying that he respected the judiciary and that he would not allow any interference in ongoing legal cases.
Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chiH
DETERRENCE: With 1,000 indigenous Hsiung Feng II and III missiles and 400 Harpoon missiles, the nation would boast the highest anti-ship missile density in the world With Taiwan wrapping up mass production of Hsiung Feng II and III missiles by December and an influx of Harpoon missiles from the US, Taiwan would have the highest density of anti-ship missiles in the world, a source said yesterday. Taiwan is to wrap up mass production of the indigenous anti-ship missiles by the end of year, as the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has been meeting production targets ahead of schedule, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said. Combined with the 400 Harpoon anti-ship missiles Taiwan expects to receive from the US by 2028, the nation would have
POSSIBILITIES EMERGE: With Taiwan’s victory and Japan’s narrow win over Australia, Taiwan now have a chance to advance if South Korea also beat the Aussies Taiwan has high hopes that the national baseball team would advance to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) quarter-finals after clinching a crucial 5-4 victory over South Korea in a nail-biting extra-inning game at the Tokyo Dome yesterday. Boosted by three home runs — two solo shots by Yu Chang (張育成) and Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) and a two-run homer by Stuart Fairchild — the triumph gave Taiwan a much-needed second victory in the five-team Pool C, where only the top two finishers would advance to the knockout stage in Miami, Florida. Entering extra innings with the game tied at four apiece, Taiwan scored
MISSION OF PEACE: The foreign minister urged Beijing to respect Taiwan’s existence as an independent nation, and work together to ensure peace and stability in the region Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday rejected Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi’s (王毅) comments about Taiwan, criticizing China as a “troublemaker” in the international community and a disruptor of cross-strait peace. Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the Chinese National People’s Congress, Wang said that Taiwan has always been a territory of China and that it would be impossible for it to become its own country. The “return” of Taiwan to China was the natural outcome of the Chinese people’s resistance against Japan in World War II, and that any pursuit of independence was “doomed
‘UNWAVERING FRIENDSHIP’: A representative of a Japanese group that co-organized a memorial, said he hopes Japanese never forget Taiwan’s kindness President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, urging continued cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on disaster prevention and humanitarian assistance. Lai wrote on social media that Taiwan and Japan have always helped each other in the aftermath of major disasters. The magnitude 9 earthquake struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a massive tsunami that claimed more than 19,000 lives, according to data from Japanese authorities. Following the disaster, Taiwan donated more than US$240 million in aid, making it one of the largest contributors of financial assistance to Japan. In addition to cash donations and
RSS