A member of the US Congress is urging US Secretary of State John Kerry to “take a stance” on the treatment of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
“I believe it is the duty of the State Department, on behalf of the United States, to address Chen’s plight,” US Representative Robert Andrews said.
“While human rights activists have continually pointed out the deplorable conditions present in many of Taiwan’s prisons, there is reason to believe that Chen is receiving more severe treatment than the other prisoners,” Andrews wrote in a letter to Kerry.
Chen, serving a 20-year sentence on corruption charges, is currently receiving treatment for heart problems, gastric distress, severe depression and vascular dementia in Taipei Veterans General Hospital.
However, Andrews says that it is his “understanding” that as soon as doctors clear Chen, he will be returned to prison and would be “subject to the same conditions which caused his many ailments.”
In July last year, Andrews submitted a medical report to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on the effects of incarceration on Chen’s mental and physical health.
“I think for an administration to come in and essentially jail the previous administration is a tragedy,” US Representative Steve Chabot told a Congressional hearing last year.
Chabot said that charges against Chen amounted to a “criminalization of politics” and compared Taiwan to a “banana republic.”
Formosa Association for Public Affairs president Mark Kao said that Taiwanese-Americans were “outraged” by the treatment of Chen.
“The chorus of proponents of medical parole for Chen continues to spread and continues to grow,” Kao said.
Meanwhile, Chen’s office yesterday said in a press release that the former president is set to have surgery today at Taipei Veteran General Hospital to treat hemorrhoids.
The office cited Chen’s private medical team as saying that the surgery was necessary because Chen’s hemorrhoids were worsening due to lack of exercise and treatment.
Chen fell down in his hospital room last week, the fourth time he has collapsed since being imprisoned, prompting further concerns over his deteriorating health.
Chen was diagnosed with a fracture in the last vertebra of his coccyx and could sustain a concussion in a fall, the medical team said.
Additional reporting by Chris Wang
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
Passengers on Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) will be required to use headphones and make phone calls in gangways under new “quiet travel” rules starting Sept. 22. THSR Chairman Shih Che (史哲) told media that THSR will run a three-month promotional campaign to ensure widespread adoption of the new rules. Those repeatedly ignoring the guidance face the potential termination of their transport contract, which can result in them getting escorted off the train, according to THSR. Shih shared his hope to cultivate an environment conducive to rest and reading for the train’s passengers, stating that these changes aim to “promote self-discipline” among passengers
RSS