Ma says allies may pursue economic ties with China

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Ma again lauded his diplomatic policies, saying they had produced ‘remarkable’ results and that Taiwan and China had finally come to respect each other

By Ko Shu-ling
STAFF REPORTER
Thursday, Sep 10, 2009, Page 3

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said his administration was not opposed to the country’s diplomatic allies developing economic relations with China and that both sides of the Taiwan Strait had a “tacit agreement” not to steal each other’s diplomatic allies.

Praising his “diplomatic truce” policy, Ma said it had produced “remarkable” results and that China and Taiwan have a mutual understanding that they should not woo each other’s diplomatic allies.

“We hope to extend cross-strait detente to the international community,” Ma said. “Now we [Taipei and Beijing] mutually respect each other and get along peacefully in the international community. This has never happened in the past 60 years.”

Ma said the goal of his diplomatic policy was to strengthen the government’s relationships with its diplomatic allies while at the same time improving ties with China and reducing friction with China in the international arena.

Ma said his administration would not discourage Taiwan’s allies from developing “unofficial economic relations” with China because this is a part of globalization.

Ma made the remarks while meeting Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alrich Nicolas at the Presidential Office yesterday morning.

It marked Nicolas’ first trip to Taiwan since he took office last September. Ma said he believed high-level visits between the two countries were helpful to promoting bilateral cooperation projects, adding that the administration hoped to continue this relationship and share the Taiwan’s experience with economic development.

Ma thanked the Caribbean ally for assisting his administration’s “aggressive” efforts to participate in the international community. He extended his thanks to Haitian President Rene Preval’s for the latter’s concern following Typhoon Morakot, which Ma described as causing “the worst flooding, unprecedented in this century.”

As of yesterday, the number of confirmed fatalities had reached 619, with 76 listed as missing or presumed dead. The Web site of the National Disaster Prevention and Protection Commission showed that the Kaohsiung area reported 491 fatalities, followed by Pingtung with 27 and Tainan with 25.

Lawyers, protesters ready for Chen verdict
　

By Shelley Huang
STAFF REPORTER
Thursday, Sep 10, 2009, Page 3
　

Cheng Wen-lung (鄭文龍), who previously served as an attorney for former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), yesterday hinted that the former president could re-hire him and other attorneys to file any appeal against the ruling in Chen’s case.

The Taipei District Court is set to announce its verdict tomorrow for the former president and 13 co-defendants in cases related to the presidential state affairs fund, a land deal in Taoyuan County’s Longtan Township (龍潭), a deal involving the Nangang Exhibition Hall, money-laundering, influence-­peddling and profiteering.

The crimes of which Chen is accused were allegedly committed during his two presidential terms from 2000 to last year. Chen faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, but can appeal the verdict.

Speaking to reporters yesterday outside the Taipei Detention Center where Chen is being detained, Cheng said “it is possible” that Chen would re-hire his attorneys to defend him in appealing the district court’s ruling, which the former president expects to include heavy sentences.

Cheng said that if Chen appeals the district court’s ruling and re-hires his previous attorneys, they would be ready with arguments to be submitted to the High Court.

Cheng, Shih Yi-lin (石宜琳) and Hung Kwei-san (洪貴參) served as Chen’s attorneys until he dismissed them all in May, while retracting requests to call witnesses and refusing to answer questions in court to protest what he called an unfair justice system. The dismissal followed a decision by the district court to keep Chen in detention because it said he could collude with witnesses or flee the country.

After Chen dismissed his attorneys, the district court immediately assigned two court-appointed attorneys to represent him.

In response to a rumor that the court could set Chen’s bail at NT$600 million [US$20 million], Cheng said: “[Chen] probably would not be able to come up with even NT$60 million, let alone NT$600 million.”

Chen has been incarcerated since Dec. 30. He has denied the charges and says his detention and trial amount to political persecution by the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).

At a separate setting yesterday, the Democratic Progressive Party’s Central Executive Committee filed a motion in support of Chen’s judicial rights and called for him to be released after the first ruling. The committee also instructed Tainan Mayor Hsu Tain-tsair (許添財) to form a task force to assess plans on how to support Chen.

During the meeting yesterday, committee chairman Chang Tien-chin (張天欽) also briefed the attendees on events that could be held from tomorrow through Sept. 23, when the current term of Chen’s detention is set to expire.

After the committee meeting, Hsu told the media that concrete contents of the plan would depend on how the case evolves.

Meanwhile, Chen’s office said yesterday that Chen’s supporters plan to protest outside the Taipei District Court tomorrow.

“Some 300 to 500 people from various groups will gather outside the court to protest the sentencing because they think he is not guilty and detaining him is wrong,” Chiang Chih-ming (江志銘), secretary of Chen’s office, said by telephone.

He denied a local media report that Chen’s supporters plan to storm the court if they consider the sentence harsh.

“I have not heard they want to storm the court,” Chiang said. “They only want to express their disapproval.”

Group launches campaign to gather ‘prayers for Taiwan’

STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA
Thursday, Sep 10, 2009, Page 3

A campaign was launched yesterday to encourage people to pray for Taiwan to help it weather natural disasters and adversities like Typhoon Morakot, which caused widespread destruction last month, and the deadly 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck on Sept. 21, 1999.

Popular writer and women’s rights advocate Shih Chi-ching (施寄青), attorney Yu Mei-nu (尤美女) and former deputy minister of national defense Lin Chong-pin (林中斌) held a news conference yesterday to launch the “Natural Disaster No More” prayer campaign.

Shih invited people to pray for Taiwan to help it tide over disasters, including disease outbreaks, such as the A(H1N1) flu epidemic.

“Small individual wishes can converge into big power,” she said.

The trio has set up a “Taiwan 919” Web site at www.­taiwan919.org where people can post their wishes for Taiwan or what they want to do for Taiwan.

The Web site is named for the day — Sept. 19 — that Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, Protestant and Catholic representatives will gather for a prayer activity at the Taipei Youth Activity Center.

Shih said those who do not know how to use a computer may fax their prayers for Taiwan to 02-2311-6263.

The public is also welcome to take part in the “Taiwan 919” campaign, Yu said.

Meanwhile, with the approach of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 21, 1999 earthquake that killed more than 2,400 people, many governmental agencies have planned public activities to commemorate the day.

The events include an international seminar on disaster emergency management scheduled for Sept. 17 to Sept. 19 at the International Convention Center at the National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei; and a seminar on natural disasters and reconstruction in Taiwan on Sept. 18 and Sept. 19 at the 921 Earthquake Reference Archive in Nantou County. Nantou was one of the areas most damaged by the earthquake.

The Hakka Affairs Commission and the Council for Cultural Affairs will jointly hold a night vigil at the Tungshi Hakka Cultural Park in Taichung County on Sept. 21 to commemorate the earthquake victims with a Hakka opera. A documentary on the reconstruction will also be presented.

In addition, the Relief Foundation is inviting volunteers who participated in the rescue efforts on a reunion tour of the reconstruction sites.

It is also organizing a commemorative garden party at the 921 Earthquake Education Park in Wufong (霧峰), Taichung County, from 11am to 5pm on Sept. 19.

Xinjiang claims HK journalists incited protests
　

PROVOKED: After three reporters were beaten by police, a Chinese official claimed they had been breaking regulations and had instigated unrest

AP , HONG KONG
Thursday, Sep 10, 2009, Page 5

Hong Kong lawmakers and media yesterday rejected the results of a Chinese investigation into allegations that police beat three journalists covering the recent unrest in western China.

The investigation by Xinjiang authorities blamed three Hong Kong journalists for inciting unrest in the troubled city of Urumqi last Friday.

The journalists said they were kicked, punched and shoved to the ground by police before being detained for about three hours.

The TV journalists were covering the aftermath of a mass protest by Han Chinese in Urumqi after a string of needle attacks the Chinese government blames on Muslim separatists.

In Hong Kong, lawmakers across the political spectrum criticized Xinjiang’s investigation. Democrat Emily Lau (劉慧卿) said the probe was unjust, while pro-Beijing legislator Ip Kwok-him (葉國謙) urged Beijing to investigate.

The beating of the Hong Kong journalists has dominated headlines in the Chinese territory.

A Chinese official accused the three Hong Kong journalists on Tuesday of “instigating” a group of demonstrators and breaking local regulations as they reported on the protest, a report by the official Xinhua news agency said.

“Security personnel repeatedly asked them to leave but failed. Under such circumstances, they detained three of them,” it quoted Hou Hanmin (侯漢敏), director of the Xinjiang Autonomous Regional Information Office, as saying.

Hou did not say whether police beat the Hong Kong journalists, but said “something that everybody doesn’t want to see took place,” Xinhua reported.

The news organizations that employ the journalists also issued separate statements to rebut Hou’s comments.

“Our reporters were conducting legal reporting work on that day,” TVB’s News and Information Services Division said in a statement. “The allegation of inciting public disorder by the relevant Xinjiang authorities is wholly a fabrication.”

Now TV said Hou’s comments were false and the station would complain to the central government. The Hong Kong Journalists Association also condemned the investigation.

Unintentional sobriety

Thursday, Sep 10, 2009, Page 8

Since he came to office in May last year, President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) pro-China policies have become so transparent that a US-based satirical magazine was prompted to compare cross-strait relations to courtship, with Ma “wooing China.”

It would be unfair, however, to look down at the magazine for making a political analogy so absurd as to belittle Taiwan, for in his words and deeds over the past year-and-a-half, Ma has encouraged this very image, especially for those looking in from the outside.

Not only has Ma openly — and repeatedly — praised his Chinese counterpart, President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), but he has also credited Beijing for the most absurd ephemera, such as allowing him to open the Kaohsiung World Games.

Undeterred by reality, Ma has gone as far as saying that he hoped the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would one day nurture “its own Hu Jintao.”

Apparently interpreting the magazine’s sarcasm in labeling him one of the “gutsiest” world leaders as flattery, Ma took his “China wooing” even further on Monday.

In a speech at a memorial service for the victims of Typhoon Morakot, “gutsy” Ma went beyond expressing gratitude to the many volunteers, soldiers and foreign governments for their hard work and donations during relief operations by making sure that a certain country received extra praise.

“The Mainland authorities’ and Chinese compatriots’ zealous contributions have so far amounted to donations that exceed NT$5 billion [US$152.9 million], the single-largest donation [Taiwan has received] from overseas,” Ma said.

“This shows that blood is thicker than water among the people across the Taiwan Strait. I hope people across the Taiwan Strait will continue to learn from each other and share experiences in disaster relief and reconstruction work.”

If a donation of NT$5 billion from the world’s third-largest economy can earn China such praise, what about the generosity shown by Tuvalu, Taiwan’s diplomatic ally? Despite the poor state of its economy, the small South Pacific nation donated 1 percent of its GDP, or about US$210,000, to help Taiwan with relief work. To put things in perspective, 1 percent of China’s GDP would represent US$79 billion.

Was Tuvalu’s generosity not worthy of special mention by the president?

If, by Ma’s logic, Beijing’s donations were proof that “blood is thicker than water,” this still cannot explain the 1,500 or so missiles that China continues to aim at Taiwan, nor the new weapons systems that it is acquiring and developing that one day could be used against this nation and its people.

Here we have a president who showers Beijing with compliments greatly disproportionate to the so-called “goodwill” it has shown, while downplaying the threat that China continues to represent to our security and way of life.

If only Ma were an exception in his administration.

Sadly, others, such as Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤), have engaged in similar doublespeak, with comments such as “Taiwan owes China a debt of gratitude” because of its donations in the wake of Morakot.

Taiwanese only have themselves to blame if foreign media make fun of a small nation whose leaders bend over backwards to create an illusion of peace in the Taiwan Strait.

Behold China’s network in Taiwan
　

By Yao Jen-to 姚人多
Thursday, Sep 10, 2009, Page 8

‘In the case of the Dalai Lama’s visit, several groups of people will score a lot of points in China for their highly satisfactory performance.’

When asked to explain the nature of pro-China forces in Taiwan, I like to describe it as a network.

This network is different from a centralized command system in which everyone acts according to the same orders.

Instead, its members are spread out in their own domains, quietly operating according to their own logic.

At certain key moments, however, they suddenly come together to serve a common purpose.

The Dalai Lama’s recent visit to Taiwan to pray for victims of Typhoon Morakot was one such moment. It brought out of the shadows a network that is normally hard to detect and identify.

China’s leaders in Beijing always check that their network in Taiwan is working smoothly. In the case of the Dalai Lama’s visit, several groups of people will score a lot of points in China for their highly satisfactory performance.

First on the list is President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).

After approving the Dalai Lama’s visit, Ma’s Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) quickly sent a secret envoy to communicate with its counterpart in China.

It is not hard to imagine the envoy stressing that the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took advantage of the floods to make trouble. No doubt he insisted that Ma allowed the visit because he had no other choice — and promised that it would not happen again.

It was plain to see how Ma complied with China’s wishes by not meeting or having any contact with the Dalai Lama — or even mentioning his name — throughout the visit.

The Chinese government will also take note of other senior KMT officials who avoided the Dalai Lama like the plague, donning political facemasks as if he were a virus even more dangerous than the swine flu.

Acting in unison on an unspoken agreement, their behavior will have pleased the Chinese Communist Party.

The next category is China’s friends in the media.

While the role of senior KMT figures in this unspoken division of labor was to keep quiet, certain Taiwanese television stations that enjoy Chinese funding brought out their usual pundits and reporters to rain political spittle on the issue.

Their aim from the first moment was to demonize the Dalai Lama. One pundit went so far as to question if the Dalai Lama had been paid a “marching fee” for his visit to Taiwan. Not to be outdone, an anchorwoman on one of the channels brazenly placed blame on the Dalai Lama while conducting a telephone interview with official Chinese media.

Let us not forget that, apart from the attacks on the Dalai Lama, the main target for Chinese criticism on this occasion was the DPP.

It therefore came as no surprise that these media outlets lined up and took aim at the targets painted by China.

The pundits and reporters speculated on all kinds of tedious political topics for days on end, including who invited the Dalai Lama, what friction there might be between various DPP mayors and county commissioners, and so on.

In the absence of China’s national channel — CCTV — these China-friendly channels played a similar role. No doubt the Chinese authorities were very pleased with this show of initiative.

Third on the list are certain religious organizations in Taiwan, whose pronouncements will also score points with China.

It came as no surprise that the first shot in this inter-faith skirmish came from the Dajia Jennlann Matsu Temple, which has always maintained close relations with the KMT.

Several other religious groups followed suit by saying they did not welcome the Dalai Lama’s visit.

Among them, the Chinese leadership must be particularly grateful to Venerable Master Hsing Yun (星雲), founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order.

Despite his professed wish to spend more time writing books behind closed doors, Hsing Yun chose an interesting moment to agree to a joint interview with Chinese media in Taiwan, in which he listed a number of reasons why the Dalai Lama should not have come. Hsing Yun’s performance will likely attract plenty of Chinese tourist pilgrims to his Fo Guang Shan monastery.

Finally, we must mention the pro-unification groups who did their duty by following the Dalai Lama wherever he went and holding raucous protests.

Protests against the Dalai Lama are nothing new, but this time the demonstrators managed to get within a meter or so of the monk, which must be a world-record close encounter.

These political parties and media, civic and religious groups are just some of the nodes that make up a wide-reaching network of people in Taiwan for whom a thorn in China’s side is a thorn in their own, and who take China’s standard of human rights as their benchmark.

We ought to thank the Dalai Lama, who, with his wisdom, humor and compassion, lured these people out of the shadows. The majority of Taiwanese who identify with Taiwan and uphold its right to sovereignty and independence need to be aware of such people and communicate with them.

Yao Jen-to is an associate professor in the Institute of Sociology at National Tsing Hua University.