save a-bian save Taiwan by human right

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2009/07/03/2003447747
Dear sir/madam
Pro-china President ma force the former President Chen as a criminal that ordered persecutors to let Chen’s family are on the terror condition ,so please give a-bian a hand save Taiwan democracy and human rights.
Chen won’t plead guilty, ex-lawyer says
FAMILY TENSIONS: DPP Taipei City councilors accused the media of harrassing the former president’s first grandson amid a fuss over his enrolling in a Taipei school
By Shelley Huang and Mo Yan-chih
STAFF REPORTERS
Friday, Jul 03, 2009, Page 3
Chen Chih-chung, left, son of former president Chen Shui-bian, yesterday offers free legal consultation at the Democratic Progressive Party’s Kaohsiung City chapter office. He suggested yesterday that his sister move to Kaohsiung so her oldest son could begin school there.
PHOTO: CNA
Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) will not plead guilty to the charges against him despite his family members being prosecuted, Chen＇s former lawyer Cheng Wen-lung (鄭文龍) said yesterday.
Cheng visited Chen yesterday at the Taipei Detention Center, where Chen has been held on corruption charges since Dec. 30 last year.
“[Chen] thinks he has not done anything illegal, so why should he plead guilty?＂ the lawyer said, referring to a letter former first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) wrote to her husband reportedly reprimanding him for insisting on being a martyr even though it would ruin their daughter Chen Hsing-yu＇s (陳幸妤) plans to live and study in the US this fall.
Chen Hsing-yu was barred from leaving the country last Tuesday, after she, her husband, Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘), and her brother, Chen Chih-chung (陳致中), admitted to giving false testimony during investigations into the former first family＇s alleged corruption and money laundering.
Chen Shui-bian has been distressed since learning that prosecutors rejected his daughter’s request to be allowed to travel so she could register for studies in the US.
“[He] hopes his children would not be involved in the political fighting among adults. He hopes his children would not be hassled,” Cheng said, adding that his former client told him that “adults should resolve their political issues among themselves.”
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City councilors yesterday urged the media not to bother Chen Shui-bian＇s grandson Chao Yi-an (趙翊安), and demanded Taipei City＇s Education Department protect the boy＇s rights to study in a municipal school.
Chao Yi-an’s enrollment in the Bo Ai Elementary School became the center of attention after several users of the school’s online message board, who identified themselves as teachers and parents, voiced objections to the possibility of his entering the school.
The six-year-old is the eldest son of Chen Hsing-yu. He has reached the minimum school age, according to the National Education Act (國民教育法), and is legally entitled to enroll in the school.
DPP Taipei City Councilor Chien Yu-yen (簡余晏) said the National Communications Commission should stop media outlets from following the boy or interviewing students or teachers at the school about the issue.
“We urge the media to exercise self-restraint and not to follow Chao Yi-an around, so that he can go to school happily,” she told a press conference at the Taipei City Council.
Independent Taipei City Councilor Chen Chien-ming (陳建銘) demanded the department and the school protect the boy＇s right to study in Taipei.
“It would be shameful for the education field in Taipei if Chao was forced to attend
school in Kaohsiung instead because of political factors,” he said.
Lin Hsin-yao (林信耀), chief secretary of the department, said the school would “definitely welcome Chao to enroll.＂
Wang Jen-yu (王壬佑), director-general of the school＇s academic affairs department, said that any child whose household record is registered within the school＇s district was welcome to attend.
Meanwhile, swamped by reporters on her way to work yesterday, Chen Hsing-yu lost her temper when asked to comment on efforts to study in the US.
“Don’t push me!” “All of you will be punished!” she said as she was escorted by supporters into the dental clinic where she works.
Her brother said later yesterday that the whole family hoped that Chen Hsing-yu would move her family to Kaohsiung City, where her son could attend a local school.
Chen Chih-chung and his wife moved to Kaohsiung in February, while his mother moved there in May.
In related news, prosecutors announced yesterday they will call Wu for questioning on Tuesday on whether she solicited her children to commit perjury.
Wu＇s lawyer Lin Chih-chung (林志忠) said yesterday that Wu had said she would cooperate with prosecutors to protect her children.
“[Wu] said she will do whatever prosecutors ask of her, as long as prosecutors do not involve her children in the case,” Lin said.
Copyright © 1999-2009 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved.
Published on Taipei Times http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2009/07/03/2003447744
Local judicial rights under attack
By Cao Changqing 曹長青 Friday, Jul 03, 2009, Page 8
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leadership has finally taken action, demanding
that former president Chen Shui-bian＇s (陳水扁) judicial rights be respected.
In New York and Los Angeles, a dozen Taiwanese groups recently held concurrent press conferences, initiating a yellow-ribbon campaign for Chen. This is a US tradition through which people remember and campaign for the release of prisoners of war. By wearing yellow ribbons, these Taiwanese Americans were showing their concern for the former president＇s judicial rights. While many overseas Taiwanese were unable to make their minds up when allegations of Chen＇s corruption first surfaced, they are now massively in support of protecting his judicial rights. Judging from reactions at speeches I have given in Taiwanese communities in several US cities recently, most audience members are angry at President Ma Ying-jeou＇s (馬英九) government over Chen＇s long detention. Their strong reaction has at least three main causes. First, a just trial can only take place in a fair judicial environment. But the media has been reporting the details of Chen＇s case right from the start, prompting the public to find him guilty before the trial is over. Later, the judge presiding over his case was suddenly replaced, suspects were detained to extract confessions and the trial record was manipulated. In this highly unfair judicial environment, a just trial is impossible. Despite the prosecutors＇ many charges, a just trial is possible only in a fair judicial environment, no matter how serious the charges against Chen. The government is guilty of illegal detention, an improper change of judge and the falsification of trial records. Under these circumstances, it is not possible to truly investigate whether Chen is guilty of corruption.
The sequence should be to first guarantee his judicial rights and then proceed with the trial on the premise of a just judicial environment protected by the judicial system. Second, the negative consequences of the government＇s power abuse are much more serious than individual corruption. I have repeatedly emphasized this concept in my newspaper articles. In all societies that have suffered under dictatorship, people are indifferent to their personal rights because they are accustomed to the government＇s abuse of power and they have become able to endure it. At the moment, the government＇s abuse of judicial rights is obvious and rampant. Even the pro-blue Chinese-language China Times has published an editorial saying that Chen＇s long detention may damage democracy and the rule of law. If the government can trample on the former president＇s judicial rights today, it can do the same thing to anyone tomorrow. Some say that the judiciary is not only unfair to Chen alone and that we should call for fair prosecution of all cases. Certainly, we must safeguard every individual＇s human rights, but it goes without saying that celebrity cases usually attract more attention and have a greater influence. This is why the media invited medical experts to discuss cardiac disease after Michael Jackson＇s death, although countless people die of heart disease every day. Third, the government is becoming more arrogant. This is frightening when we look to Taiwan＇s future. Most pan-green camp supporters feel that Chen＇s long detention is political retaliation by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that is meant to destroy the green camp＇s morale and crack down on Taiwanese independence. In addition, Ma has filed a lawsuit against prosecutor Hou Kuan-jen (侯寬仁) accusing him of forgery during his investigation of Ma＇s handling of his special allowance fund.
Meanwhile, first lady Chow Mei-ching (周美青) has filed a lawsuit against political commentator Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒) and some others for allegedly defaming her. The blatant arrogance of the incumbent president and his wife in suing private citizens is making a growing number Taiwanese feel ill at ease, especially after a group of Taiwan experts in the West repeatedly petitioned the government to demand that Chen be given his judicial rights, and after the government ignored criticism by Ma＇s law professor and mentor Jerome Cohen of the current situation in several newspaper articles. How can we not worry about the consequences when such a government is in total control of Taiwan? Even at a time when Ma＇s government is treating the cases of alleged corruption against Chen as political, some in the pan-green camp still treat them as a judicial issue. Perhaps some of them are politically unwise because of their own blind spots, and perhaps some have other motivations. The pan-green camp＇s understanding of the CCP, the KMT and Chen＇s corruption trial is directly related to the nation＇s future. It is difficult to imagine the negative consequences of any mistaken decisions. Cao Changqing is a freelance journalist based in the US. TRANSLATED BY EDDY CHANG
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