Don't let Lin come back
In your recent article ("Defector can't expect breaks from MAC," May 30, page 3), you reported that a suspected deserter, Justin Lin (林正義), is now seeking to return to Taiwan to attend a funeral. Lin was originally touted as a model patriot because he gave up an opportunity to attend university in order to enlist in the army. Apparently, he later defected to Beijing while serving on Kinmen and currently is a professor of economics at Beijing University. Now the prodigal son wishes to return to honor his father.
Let's set politics aside and look at the issues.
Lin certainly didn't think much about his parents when he left for China. In fact, since he swam over alone, I suspect he left a family (at least his parents) to fend for themselves. As we all know, the KMT wasn't kind to defectors' families back then.
Lin certainly wasn't much of a patriot. He didn't even have the courtesy to resign his commission first before defecting. He certainly didn't care much about the men under his command nor the possible repercussions of his actions.
Lin certainly had no honor. He deserted in the face of the enemy. Back then, as the KMT liked to stress, the country was under martial law because of the threat from China.
Lin, as his life has shown, is nothing more than an opportunist. He used the KMT for publicity, he used Taiwan for a living and he used China for the same things all over again. Lin, as we say, is the lowest form of life.
The bigger question is how does one deal with a man with no honor nor common decency? Simple. Just as the minister of justice implied, we use the due process of law. Let's consider the facts: Lin deserted from the army, the country was under martial law and Taiwan respects human rights.
My solution? Let Lin return for the funeral. Immediately after the funeral, arrest him and put him on trial for treason. Give him the maximum penalty, death, and commute his sentence to life. Of course, because Taiwan is a country that respects due process of law, perhaps the statute of limitations will work in his favor. A bloody shame, because I would rather him stay in prison. Let him spend the remainder of his natural life in prison on an island he deserted. Poetic justice. Let him reflect on the father he abandoned. Left him reflect on the nation he sold out.
Ryan J. Shih
Stanford, California
Normally I find your editorials to be thought provoking and insightful. However, the editorial on the traitor Justin Lin I find to be just plain wrong ("No prodigal son, just a disgrace," May 30, page 8).
Lin did not escape from a prison camp or from persecution, nor he did raise sedition against an unjust government and flee for his life. This would be a human rights issue.
He accepted the best education that Taiwan had to offer. He accepted all the benefits and honors that were laid upon him, accepted the implicit responsibility and trust his country gave him as commander of a military unit; and then defected to China with all the knowledge he obtained as a commander in the military. Once there, he accepted all the benefits and opportunity China offered and rose in its hierarchy to a position of prominence. This is an act of treason.
When you wrote that Lin is an "affront to the tens of thousands of servicemen who have devoted their lives to defend Taiwan," you overlooked the fact that as a traitor he marginalized and mocked all the people who stayed in Tai-wan and worked toward its eventual democracy.
Lin is also an affront to me, an American. If we can rationalize an excuse to allow a traitor to return to his country without incurring any punishment, then we can rationalize, and overlook, the behavior of people like [John Anthony]Walker, [Aldrich] Ames and [Robert] Hansen.
Lin knew there would be consequences for his actions; they were, after all, premeditated. He must accept the responsibility of his actions. Don't let him in.
John H. Maier
Taipei
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