The recent allegation that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) sent secret emissaries to China has caused a stir. Since accusations that former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) sent secret envoys to China were proved to be true, this latest revelation has attracted a great deal of attention.
There are differences, however, between the allegations against Lee and against Chen. In Lee's case, he was still in office when then-legislator Yok Mu-ming (
However, independent Legislator Sisy Chen (陳文茜) chose not to focus on the issue of secrecy when she made her accusation against the president on April 25, but rather accused him of acting on behalf of a pro-DPP airline owned by a tycoon who is a member of the National Policy Advisory Committee (國政顧問團). Sisy Chen's motive was therefore very different from Yok's.
Whether Chen has sent envoys is one thing; whether those envoys were the three DPP legislators named by Sisy Chen -- Wang Tuoh (
Frankly, no one can be absolutely sure that the president didn't send secret envoys to China. But there is no clear evidence to prove that he did. Unless there is evidence of treason, no charges can be brought against the president since merely negotiating cross-strait relations is not a crime.
This is why Sisy Chen had to accuse the president of colluding with a particular company. There was nothing surprising about her accusation, as it was perfectly consistent with her style.
The most serious question, however, is not whether the president sent envoys, but rather how certain lawmakers are able to obtain apparently secret information and documents.
Yok received confidential information from the Chinese government. Why would Beijing leak such information? Why did it reveal the information to pro-unification lawmakers such as Yok? What special relation does the Chinese government have with these lawmakers? What secret channels do they have? What are their goals? These are the crucial questions.
If we consider the envoy scandals in the light of PFP lawmaker Chin Huei-chu (秦慧珠) -- who once displayed confidential documents and accused Chen of taking political donations from Beijing -- these cases are worth examining.
How is it that these lawma-kers are always able to obtain confidential information from the other side of the Taiwan Strait?
Chin Heng-wei is editor in chief of Contemporary Monthly magazine.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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