The Ministry of Justice early yesterday morning transferred former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) from a hospital in Taipei to Taichung Prison’s Pei Teh Hospital, a sudden and unannounced move that prompted condemnation from Chen’s family and the Democratic Progressive Party, who accused the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government of placing political considerations above Chen’s medical needs.
Chen, who has been staying at Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH) since Sept. 17 last year and has been diagnosed with severe depression, sleep apnea, non-typical Parkinson’s disease, a speech disorder and mild cerebral atrophy, was transferred from TVGH at 5:30am and arrived at Pei Teh at 7:20am.
Deputy Minister of Justice Chen Ming-tang (陳明堂) told a press conference later yesterday that because the former president’s condition does not warrant medical parole, sending him to Taichung Prison’s Pei Teh Hospital would ensure that he receives proper medical attention.
Photo: CNA
Chen Shui-bian is serving a 20-year jail sentence for corruption.
The arrangement was made in consideration of his status as a prison inmate, patient and former president, Chen Ming-tang said.
Chou Yuan-hua (周元華), a psychiatrist and the attending physician for the former president at TVGH, earlier this month told the legislature that it would be better for Chen Shui-bian to be looked after at home or moved to a hospital closer to home so that he could benefit from the support of his family.
However, the ministry said yesterday that home-based convalescence for convicts is not legal in this country.
Chen Shui-bian’s condition can be treated while he is serving his prison term and he does not qualify for medical parole, the ministry said, adding that there is no precedent of an inmate with a mental disease being granted parole.
Chen Ming-tang said Pei-te has set up a special medical zone for Chen Shui-bian, adding that it is partly an outdoor environment with a grass lawn.
The former president is free to move within the special zone and his family members can visit him as often as they like, he said.
The prison hospital is also closer to Greater Kaohsiung, where Chen Shui-bian’s family lives.
Pei Teh has a psychiatry department and the hospital has arranged caretakers for the former president 24 hours a day, he said.
The medical team consists of doctors at Pei Teh, Taichung Veterans General Hospital and China Medical University Hospital, he added.
Condemning the ministry for “smuggling” his father to Pei Teh, Chen Chih-chung (陳致中), son of the former president, said the ministry’s decision was “inhumane and cruel.”
Chen Chih-chung said the family was unaware of the transfer and that he received a text message from the TVGH later notifying him of his father’s relocation.
DPP Taipei City Councilor Chiang Chi-ming (江志銘) rushed to Pei-te with Chen Chih-chung at 11:40am to visit the former president.
Chiang said the former president had attempted suicide on Thursday evening in a bathroom in a bid to resist the relocation.
DPP lawmakers were also outraged upon learning of Chen Shui-bian’s sudden transfer to a prison hospital.
DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said the ministry’s action was “an early morning assault,” adding that the caucus would sue Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu (曾勇夫) for malfeasance.
A group of DPP lawmakers rushed into the ministry yesterday morning, demanding to see Tseng.
Finding Tseng’s office door closed, DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) and other lawmakers kicked the door, barged in, surrounded the minister and demanded answers.
“If former president Chen commits suicide, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and you [Tseng] are the murderers,” Chiu said.
“Chen [Shui-bian] is not only a patient, he is a prisoner too, so we have to have other considerations,” Tseng said.
DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said: “Ma’s action [to allow the transfer] has caused disharmony in Taiwanese society. [The transfer] is not good for Chen Shui-bian’s health, nor is it good for society as a whole.”
Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) criticized the ministry’s move as “shady and deceitful,” while former DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said “the sudden transfer, handled in a rough manner, violates Chen Shui-bian’s right to receive proper medical treatment.”
Presidential Office spokesperson Lee Chia-fei (李佳霏) said Ma respected the ministry’s decision.
“It is the ministry’s responsibility to make a professional assessment on [Chen Shui-bian’s medical condition] in accordance with medical expertise and the law,” she said.
Disagreeing with the criticism that the ministry moved the former president “surreptitiously,” Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said the matter was “within the ministry’s mandate.”
Meanwhile, KMT Legislator Liao Cheng-ching (廖正井), who recently voiced his support for Chen Shui-bian being granted medical parole, said that having the former president treated at Pei Teh was “an appropriate arrangement.”
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan, Mo Yan-chih, Lee Hsin-fang and CNA
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
UNRELENTING: China attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure 2.63 million times per day last year, up from 1.23 million in 2023, the NSB said China’s cyberarmy has long engaged in cyberattacks against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, employing diverse and evolving tactics, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday, adding that cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure last year increased 10-fold compared with the previous year. The NSB yesterday released a report titled Analysis on China’s Cyber Threats to Taiwan’s Critical Infrastructure in 2025, outlining the number of cyberattacks, major tactics and hacker groups. Taiwan’s national intelligence community identified a large number of cybersecurity incidents last year, the bureau said in a statement. China’s cyberarmy last year launched an average of 2.63 million intrusion attempts per day targeting Taiwan’s critical
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
UNDER WAY: The contract for advanced sensor systems would be fulfilled in Florida, and is expected to be completed by June 2031, the Pentagon said Lockheed Martin has been given a contract involving foreign military sales to Taiwan to meet what Washington calls “an urgent operational need” of Taiwan’s air force, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. The contract has a ceiling value of US$328.5 million, with US$157.3 million in foreign military sales funds obligated at the time of award, the Pentagon said in a statement. “This contract provides for the procurement and delivery of 55 Infrared Search and Track Legion Enhanced Sensor Pods, processors, pod containers and processor containers required to meet the urgent operational need of the Taiwan air force,” it said. The contract’s work would be
RSS