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
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS