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Free services. www.hktdc.com Taiwan Digitview Find your ideal supplier High quality, Inquiry Now! www.digitview.com.tw Love with chinese women Girls and women from China searching for love www.chinesekisses.com Taipei Times - archives Thu, May 21, 2009 News Editorials 646658765 visits Front Page * Taiwan reports first case of A(H1N1) flu * Taiwanese should decide pace of cross-strait ties: Ma * Siew undergoes lung surgery, small tumor removed * US congressman call for overhaul of Taiwan policy * Military transport plane crash kills 98 in Indonesia * Obama unveils tough new car efficiency rules after secret talks with auto firms Taiwan News * [MA YING-JEOU'S FIRST YEAR] : Ma has harmed competitiveness: Tsai * [MA YING-JEOU'S FIRST YEAR] : Ma celebrates first year in office with kids * [MA YING-JEOU'S FIRST YEAR] : FEATURE: Aborigines wait for action on Ma’s promises * [MA YING-JEOU'S FIRST YEAR] : RDEC says Ma has implemented 19% of campaign vows * [MA YING-JEOU'S FIRST YEAR] : City councilors take Ma to task over Maokong Gondola * Police mishandled NSB tip-off * Yeh’s ‘heckler’ shares her story * Investigation finds several problems with food safety * Court orders man to live on sidewalk, prosecutors protest * Future of urban planning lies with compact cities * Protest probe ends, no impeachments * Reporters award Taipei mayor mediocre grade * Chen Chu proceeding with PRC trip * Academics sound note of caution on ECFA plans * Legislator accuses Yuan of lying about green card * Pan-blue Aboriginal lawmakers planning to revive caucus World News * Envoys meet with Aung San Suu Kyi * Aid groups ask for access to Sri Lanka war zone * Pakistan struggling with aid as allies pledge cash * Khmer Rouge survivors commemorate ‘Day of Anger’ * Rural gender imbalance in China will worsen: study * S Korea vows to crack down on violent protests * US must earn our trust: Russia * AFGHANISTAN: US military admits to at least 20 civilian deaths * Afghan militants fight US with its own munitions * Spanish court urged to limit universal jurisdiction powers * Chinese jailed for murder of two graduates in UK * Congress asks for Guantanamo plan * US pressures Netanyahu to stop Jewish settlements * Israeli university honors Jordan Red Crescent chief * Hard drive with Clinton data lost * Life on Earth may be older than thought * Police link DNA evidence to serial killer in Wisconsin * World News Quick Take Editorials * EDITORIAL: Sorry conduct at the WHA * Open letter to Taiwan’s president * Taiwan moving backward in time * Greater expectations in the hinterland * Political change in China may be key for sustained growth * [ LETTER ] Sports * NBA: Bryant, Lakers down Nuggets * Former England player guilty of drug smuggling * Symonds overlooked for Ashes squad * Kallis keeps Bangalore in hunt for semi-final place * SANZAR reveals ‘Super 15’ championship details * Taiwanese cricket teams set to vie for trophy on Sunday * NHL: Detroit take charge against Chicago * Floyd Mayweather plans third boxing comeback * Soderling gives Sweden a 2-0 lead over US * Yankees thrash Orioles for seventh win in a row * Banned Alejandro Valverde leads in Tour of Catalunya * Suwon make knockout rounds * Soccer boosts dreams in Mexico’s most violent city * UK Foreign Office warns Man U fans * England face keeper crisis as James has shoulder op * Cannavaro heading to Juventus despite supporters’ anger * Injuries rule out Chiefs trio before big Super 14 game * Sports Briefs Business * TSMC to rehire laid-off workers * MAC says no plans to allow Chinese stake in TSMC * Taiwan drops in IMD rankings * Hiring of foreign airport zone managers rejected * Current-account surplus hits record high in first quarter * LED makers should see rise in revenue this year: Topology * Taipower to build nation’s largest solar power plant * Association to offer new Bluetooth tech standard next year * Higher fuel efficiency standards in US will affect Taiwanese cars: researcher * Business Briefs World Business * Japan sees record contraction * Germany may be pulling out of recession: ministry * HP profits drop on weaker sales of PCs, ink * Rio Tinto mulls changes to Chinalco tie-up plans * Pansy Ho studying ruling against her MGM partnership * Bank of America raises US$13.47bn through share sale * World Business Quick Take Features * Koh Phangan: same, same, but different * Quiet side of the moon * Over the moon * Health warning: iPods could seriously damage your hearing Bilingual Pages * The MV Doulos is back in Taiwan! This time with tour guides 忠僕號又來了！首創專人導覽 * Survival Chinese   Photo News   More Editorials   Johnny Neihu     Community Compass   Back Issue    << >>    Full List TaipeiTimes    Subscribe    Advertise    Employment   FAQ    About Us    Contact Us    Copyright Search Most Read Story Most Viewed Photo Enter your search terms Submit search form Taipei Times  Print  Mail  wiki links Open letter to Taiwan’s president Thursday, May 21, 2009, Page 8 Dear President Ma, On the occasion of the first anniversary of your presidency, we, the undersigned, scholars and writers from the US, Canada, Europe and Australia, wish to publicly address our concerns to you about a number of trends in Taiwan, as well as several specific developments. We raise these issues as international supporters of Taiwan’s democracy who care deeply about the country and its future as a free and democratic nation-state. As you recall, we voiced concerns on three previous occasions, most recently in a letter to you, Mr President, dated Jan. 17, 2009, in which we expressed our concern regarding the fairness of the judicial system in Taiwan. These concerns have not been alleviated by either the response from Government Information Office Minister Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) or the cessation of troubling, flawed and partial judicial proceedings, in particular involving the case of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). We reiterate that any alleged corruption must be investigated, but emphasize that the judicial process needs to be scrupulously fair and impartial. In the case of the former president, it is evident that the prosecution is heavily tainted by political bias, and that the former president is being treated badly out of spite for the political views and the positions he took during his presidency. Such retribution does not bode well for a young and fragile democracy, as Taiwan is. The second issue that we feel we need to highlight is press freedom. In spite of earlier expressions of concern by international organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists and Freedom House, there continue to be reports of impingement on press freedom by your administration. A case in point is the recent disturbing report that Central News Agency staff were instructed to write only “positive” stories about the policies of your administration, and that reports containing criticism of your administration or China were excised. As supporters of a free and democratic Taiwan it is disheartening to see that in the annual report on press freedom by the New York-based Freedom House, Taiwan dropped from 32nd to 43rd place. In addition, it is disconcerting to see reports that groups with close ties to China are buying their way into Taiwan’s media circles, gaining a controlling voice in major publications such as the China Times. We need to remind ourselves that China is still an authoritarian state with a long history of control of the news media. Its financial influence in Taiwan’s free press will in the long run be detrimental to hard-won freedoms. This leads us to a third general issue: the means by which rapprochement with China is being pursued. While most people in Taiwan and overseas agree that a reduction of tension in the Taiwan Strait is beneficial, it is crucial to do this in a manner befitting a democratic nation: with openness and full public debate. Only if there is sufficient transparency and true dialogue — both in the Legislative Yuan and in society as a whole — will the result be supported by a significant majority of the people. Transparency and true dialogue have been lacking in the process. Decisions and agreements are arrived at in secrecy and then simply announced to the public. The Legislative Yuan seems to have been sidelined, having little input in the form or content of the agreements, such as the proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA). The administration simply sends to the legislature the texts agreed to in the negotiations with the People’s Republic of China, allowing virtually no possibility of discussion of the pros and cons of such agreements. This undermines the system of checks and balances, which is so essential to a mature democracy. We may mention that recent opinion polls show overwhelming support for a referendum on an ECFA and for better legislative oversight of China policy. Mr President, as international scholars and writers who have followed Taiwan’s impressive transition to democracy during the past two decades, we know the sensitivity in Taiwan of the issue of relations with China. Rapprochement needs to be carried out in a way that ensures that the achievements of the democratic movement are safeguarded, that the political divide within Taiwan is reduced and that Taiwan’s sovereignty, human rights and democracy are protected and strengthened. However, during the past year we have seen that the policies of your administration are being implemented in a way that is causing deep anxiety, particularly among many who fought for Taiwan’s democracy two decades ago. This was evident in the large-scale rallies held in Taipei and Kaohsiung on Sunday. We have also seen a further polarization in society due to the lack of transparency and democratic checks and balances. Many observers believe that the rapprochement with China has occurred at the expense of Taiwan’s sovereignty, democracy and freedoms. To some, the judicial practices and police behavior toward those who criticize your policies are even reminiscent of the dark days of martial law. In this respect, symbols are important. It does not help that your administration has renamed National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall in Taipei back to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. It doesn’t bolster your case that the funding for the Chingmei Human Rights Memorial in Sindian (新店) has been cut drastically and that the location is being turned into a “cultural” park. It doesn’t help that changes are being made to the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) that infringe on freedoms of protesters instead of enhancing freedom of speech. Mr President, we appeal to you to take measures that alleviate these concerns. A first step would be to initiate and implement reforms in the judicial system that safeguard the human rights of the accused and ensure a fair trial. A second step would be to guarantee complete press freedom, and instill in those engaged in the media the determination to live up to the highest standards. Thirdly, rapprochement with China needs to be brought about in such a way that the people of Taiwan have a full say in determining their future as a free and democratic nation. Closed-door deals that bring Taiwan increasingly into China’s sphere of influence are detrimental to Taiwan’s future and undermine the democratic fabric of society. Due to its complex history, Taiwan has not had the opportunity to be accepted as a full and equal member of the international family of nations. We believe the people of Taiwan have worked hard for their democracy, and that the international community should accept Taiwan in its midst. Your actions and policies can help the island and its people move in the right direction. We urge you to do so. Respectfully yours, NAT BELLOCCHI Former chairman, American Institute in Taiwan COEN BLAAUW Formosan Association for Public Affairs, Washington STéPHANE CORCUFF Associate Professor of Political Science, China and Taiwan Studies, University of Lyon GORDON G. CHANG Author, The Coming Collapse of China June Teufel Dreyer Professor of Political Science, University of Miami MICHAEL DANIELSEN Chairman, Taiwan Corner, Copenhagen, Denmark TERRI GILES Executive Director, Formosa Foundation, Los Angeles BRUCE JACOBS Professor of Asian Languages and Studies, Monash University RICHARD C. KAGAN Professor Emeritus of History, Hamline University JEROME F. KEATING Author and associate professor (ret.), National Taipei University DAVID KILGOUR Former Canadian member of parliament and secretary of state for the Asia-Pacific LIU SHIH-CHUNG Visiting Fellow, The Brookings Institution, Washington MICHAEL RAND HOARE Emeritus Reader at the University of London, Great Britain VICTOR H. MAIR Professor of Chinese Language and Literature, University of Pennsylvania DONALD RODGERS Associate Professor of Political Science, Austin College TERENCE RUSSELL Associate Professor of Chinese Language and Literature, University of Manitoba CHRISTIAN SCHAFFERER Associate Professor, Department of International Trade, Overseas Chinese Institute of Technology; and Editor, Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia MICHAEL STAINTON York Center for Asia Research, Toronto, Canada PETER CHOW Professor of Economics, City College of New York PETER TAGUE Professor of Law,Georgetown University JOHN J. TKACIK JR. Former senior research fellow, The Heritage Foundation, Washington Arthur Waldron Lauder Professor of International Relations, University of Pennsylvania VINCENT WEI-CHENG WANG Professor of Political Science, University of Richmond GERRIT VAN DER WEES Editor, Taiwan Communiqué MICHAEL YAHUDA Professor Emeritus, London School of Economics, and Visiting Scholar, George Washington University STEPHEN YATES President, DC Asia Advisory, and former deputy assistant to the US vice president for national security affairs This story has been viewed 4500 times. Advertising Copyright © 1999-2010 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved.