E-mail contains threat to Chen, family

The Presidential Office received another threat against President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday, this time in the form of an e-mail, Presidential Office Spokesman David Lee (李南陽) said.

It was the fourth threat made against members of the first family within the course of a week.

The previous three targeted the president's daughter Chen Hsing-yu (陳幸妤), his son Chen Chih-chung (陳致中) and the president.

Lee said the e-mail, sent by someone describing themselves as the "black killer," contained threats to shoot the president with two bullets, kidnap his grandsons and sexually assault his daughter.

Later yesterday, the Presidential Office made the content public.

Lee said that the message had been handed to the police and that security for the president and his family would be increased.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday condemned the violent threats sent to the president and to members of his family.

However, he also called on the president not to take advantage of the situation to create social disturbances or foster ethnic conflict.

"President Chen should bring reconciliation to society, rather than triggering conflict and turmoil," Ma said in Matsu.

KMT caucus whip Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) said the president should have told the National Security Bureau to investigate the threatening notes rather than "exploiting" the issue as "campaign discourse."

KMT Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) went further and said she suspected that the president had secretly arranged for somebody to send the threat to "pave the way for his other dirty tricks."

Dismissing such accusations, Lee said yesterday that "gloating over the matter was not different to encouraging crime and violence."

Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) yesterday said the opposition should avoid double standards.

"Any violence should be condemned and spurned. You cannot only take it seriously when the threats are against KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou," he said.

Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih and Flora Wang