A series of bills and amendments passed recently and touted as progress in promoting human rights and tackling corruption has some analysts concerned that the changes will do little to improve the situation while distracting attention from continuing human rights problems.
George Liu (劉志聰), a researcher at the Center for Peace and Strategic Studies, said the government and legislature were inconsistent on their support for human rights.
“The legislature recently passed two UN covenants on human rights, yet [there are concerns] about the actions of police in clamping down on the public and infringing on civil rights when Chinese negotiator Chen Yunlin [(陳雲林) of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait] was here,” he said.
On March 31, at the request of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), the legislature ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and approved a statute giving them legal force.
Liu said he welcomed reforms to improve human rights, but was concerned by a lack of concrete results.
Shih Cheng-feng (施正峰), a professor of politics at Tamkang University, expressed similar concerns, saying the covenants were being used to “create a semblance of peace.”
It remains to be seen whether the covenants are implemented effectively, Shih said, adding: “The Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] hasn’t changed a bit.”
CORRUPTION
Earlier this month, lawmakers passed legislation at Ma’s behest that included amendments to the Act for the Punishment of Corruption (貪污治罪條例), which provides for further criminal charges against civil servants who have been convicted of corruption if they fail to account for any abnormally large increases in their assets in the three years after the crime.
The version was altered from that proposed by the Executive Yuan, which would have applied to all civil servants under investigation for corruption.
A stricter version of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would also have applied retroactively to all civil servants who are required to declare assets under the Public Functionary Disclosure Act (公職人員財產申報法) and not just defendants found guilty of corruption.
But Shih called the amendments an example of showcase legislation. Ma and the legislature had little choice but to amend the anti-corruption law to appease the public, he said, but they watered down the legislation to avoid landing KMT members in trouble.
Nanhua University professor Wang Szu-wei (王思為) said the legislative successes were an attempt to allay public anger over government corruption and international concerns that human rights are eroding under the Ma administration.
Wang echoed those concerns, saying the administration may be retrogressing toward the “liberal dictatorship” of Singapore.
Liu said despite the president’s vows to establish clean government, Ma had pinned the blame for corruption on the former DPP administration, which indicated that his statements were politically motivated.
But Tang Shao-cheng (湯紹成), a researcher at National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations, said he had no serious concerns about the revised anti-corruption law.
The revision is necessary to prevent future cases like that involving former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), Tang said.
PARADE LAW
Public pressure may also have led Ma’s administration to pledge to “give the streets back to the people” by seeing the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) amended.
The government has come under fire for allegedly using the legislation to restrict freedom of assembly.
A row over the amendments broke out on Friday, when DPP legislators boycotted a reading, bringing proceedings to a halt for the entire day.
The DPP legislators were angered by the KMT caucus’ decision to place the amendment on the day’s agenda ahead of less controversial bills that concerned people’s livelihood and would not require cross-party negotiations.
KMT legislators, for their part, accused the DPP of blocking the bills scheduled for later in the day.
Liu said the DPP should offer a clear account of its opposition to the amendments so the public would understand the motivation for its boycott.
Shih, meanwhile, said he was worried that the amendments would be a step backward in terms of freedom of assembly.
The amendments have been criticized by civic groups who say they would not loosen police control over peaceful demonstrations.
RESPONSIBLE OPPOSITION
Frank Liu (劉正山), a professor at National Sun Yat-sen University’s Institute of Political Science, said it was regrettable that the DPP was consumed by infighting at a time when serious concerns were being raised about the actions of the government and legislature.
The party is not fulfilling its duty to monitor the KMT’s political manipulation, he said.
The DPP must become a more responsible opposition party and expose the threat of one-party rule, he said.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard