Thursday, Nov 06, 2008 2008/11/6 The undersigned, scholars and writers from the US, Europe and Australia, wish to express their deep concern about the recent series of detentions in Taiwan of present and former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government officials. To date there have been at least seven such cases.
It is obvious that there have been cases of corruption in Taiwan, but these have occurred in both political camps. The political neutrality of the judicial system is an essential element in a democracy. It is also essential that any accused are considered innocent until proven guilty in the court of law.
We also believe that the procedures followed by the prosecutor's offices are severely flawed: while one or two of the accused have been formally charged, the majority is being held incommunicado without being charged. This is a severe contravention of the writ of habeas corpus and a basic violation of due process, justice and the rule of law.
In the meantime, the prosecutor's offices evidently leak detrimental information to the press. This kind of "trial by press" is a violation of the basic standards of judicial procedures. It also gives the distinct impression that the Kuomintang (KMT) authorities are using the judicial system to get even with members of the former DPP government.
In addition, the people who are being held incommunicado are of course unable to defend themselves against the misreporting and the leaks in the news media.
另外,被告由於遭收押囚禁,自然便無法針對種種的誤報與「新聞審判」進行說明與自清。
We do firmly believe that any alleged wrongdoings must be dealt with in a fair and open manner in an impartial court. Justice through the rule of law is essential to Taiwan's efforts to consolidate democracy and protect fundamental human rights.
We do not want to see Taiwan's hard-earned democracy jeopardized in this manner. Taiwan can justifiably be proud of its transition to democracy in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It would be sad for Taiwan and detrimental to its international image if the progress which was made during the past 20 years would be erased. Taiwan needs to move forward, not backwards to the unfair and unjust procedures as practiced during the dark days of Martial Law (1947-1987).
Signed: (簽名者) Julian Baum Former Far Eastern Economic Review bureau chief(前《遠東經濟評論》社長) Nat Bellocchi (白樂崎) Former American Institute in Taiwan chairman(前美國在台協會理事主席) Coen Blaauw Formosan Association for Public Affairs, Washington(台灣人公共事務協會) David Prager Branner Director at large (East Asia), American Oriental Society(美國東方學會東亞區理事長) Gordon G. Chang Author of The Coming Collapse of China(《中國即將崩潰》作者) PROF. June Teufel Dreyer University of Miami(邁阿密大學外交政策研究中心教授) PROF. Edward Friedman University of Wisconsin(威斯康辛大學麥迪遜分校政治系教授) PROF. Bruce Jacobs Monash University(澳洲莫那許大學中國研究學程教授) Richard C. Kagan Professor emeritus, Hamline University(美國亨萊大學歷史系教授) Jerome Keating Author and former associate professor, National Taipei University(前台北大學副教授) ASSOC. PROF. Daniel Lynch School of International Relations, University of Southern California(南加大國際關係學院教授) PROF. Victor H. Mair University of Pennsylvania(賓州大學中國語文學教授) ASSOC. PROF. Donald Rodgers Austin College(奧斯汀學院教授) PROF. Terence Russell University of Manitoba(加拿大曼尼托巴大學教授) PROF. Scott Simon University of Ottawa(加拿大渥太華大學教授) John J. Tkacik Jr Senior research fellow, The Heritage Foundation(美國傳統基金會資深研究員) Gerrit van der Wees Editor, Taiwan Communique(《台灣公報》編輯) PROF. Arthur Waldron University of Pennsylvania(賓州大學教授) PROF. Vincent Wei-cheng Wang University of Richmond(美國瑞奇蒙大學教授) Stephen Yates President of DC Asia Advisory and former deputy assistant to the vice president for national security affairs.(華府首席亞洲顧問&前美國副總統國安事務副助理國務卿)
During the struggle They will pull us down But please, please Lets use this chance To turn things around And tonight We can truly say Together we're invincible
V: Good evening, London. Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of the everyday routine, the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition. I enjoy them as much as any bloke. But in the spirit of commemoration - whereby those important events of the past, usually associated with someone's death or the end of some awful bloody struggle, are celebrated with a nice holiday - I thought we could mark this November the fifth, a day that is sadly no longer remembered, by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat.
There are, of course, those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now orders are being shouted into telephones and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there?
Cruelty and injustice...intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance, coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those who are more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable. But again, truth be told...if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.
I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War. Terror. Disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you and in your panic, you turned to the now High Chancellor Adam Sutler. He promised you order. He promised you peace. And all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent.
Last night, I sought to end that silence. Last night, I destroyed the Old Bailey to remind this country of what it has forgotten. More than four hundred years ago, a great citizen wished to embed the fifth of November forever in our memory. His hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice and freedom are more than words - they are perspectives. So if you've seen nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you, then I would suggest that you allow the fifth of November to pass unmarked. But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek...then I ask you to stand beside me, one year from tonight, outside the gates of Parliament. And together, we shall give them a fifth of November that shall never, ever, be forgot!