PFP's Chiu attacks TTV over VCDs

The lead actor in the controversial ``Special Report'' VCDs, Andy, center, -- accompanied by his wife and Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Liao Pen-yen -- attend a press conference yesterday to urge People First Party Legislator Chiu Yi not to file a lawsuit against him. The TSU announced that it would provide legal assistance to the actor if necessary. PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

People First Party (PFP) Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) yesterday accused actress Chiang Hsia (江霞) and Taiwan Television Enterprise (TTV) of being involved in the production of the controversial Special Report VCDs.

TTV must have been involved in the production since the suspected producers of the VCD were former TTV employees, Chiu said.

"There must have been secret instructions at the TV company, such as orders from top officials whose position was higher than that of TTV's president, to help film Special Report," he said.

"This conjecture was proven by my visit to the station today when TTV's president didn't receive me," Chiu told reporters, hinting that the station chief had avoided meeting with him.

Chiu said he went to the station to dig out "the truth" that would prove TTV had helped produce the VCDs.

Chiu singled out TTV chairperson Lai Kuo-chou (賴國洲) and Chiang Hsia, who is also a TTV executive, as those who must bear responsibility in providing TTV's assistance to the producers of the VCD.

Chiu said he had been victimized by the VCD, because he and his wife had been secretly videotaped and those images had been included in a future edition to Special Report.

That edition has not been released to the public, however, so his claims could not be verified.

Meanwhile, Chiang reiterated yesterday that she had nothing to do with the VCD. However, she said she felt the producers had done a good job and were very creative.

She said she would not respond to Chiu's allegations last Friday that she was one of the masterminds behind the VCDs.

Chiang said it would be unpleasant to have to dignify her actions when faced with accusation by irresponsible politicians such as Chiu.

But she was willing to talk more about the VCD producers.

She told a TV interviewer that Special Report had been filmed by a group of young people.

"A friend told me that the VCD was the brainchild of a group of young people born in 1970s and 1980s. I had been bewildered by the producers' outspoken views about their disagreements with some politicians -- their age difference explained their perspective," she said.

"Middle-aged people would have been more conservative and punctilious if they were the producers," she said.

"I did not help in the VCD production, but I admire these producers and think they should be willing to reveal themselves to the public to receive praise for their brave and creative job," Chiang said.

In other developments, Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) lawmakers yesterday gave public support to the actors in the VCDs when the leading actor and his wife showed up at Legislative Yuan..

Andy (安迪), who is being sued by Chiu Yi, appealed to the PFP lawmaker's conscience and urged him to stop pressuring a civilian like himself with legal punishment.

"Impersonators base their performance on the screenplay. I don't understand the legislator's decision. I don't understand why President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) doesn't want to sue me since my first lines in the VCD criticized Chen for being incompetent," Andy said.