Playing the
Games for human rights
By Vaclav Havel, Desmond Tutu, Wei Jingsheng, Andre Glucksmann
Friday, Aug 08, 2008, Page 8
The selection of Beijing to organize and host this
year’s Olympic Games was accompanied by the Chinese government’s pledges of
visible progress on respect for human rights. We understood these as a condition
whose fulfilment the International Olympic Committee would demand. That is how
this year’s Olympics could contribute to a greater openness and respect for
international standards of human rights and liberties in the host country.
If the words of the Olympic Charter — stating that it is a goal of the Olympics
to “place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view
to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human
dignity” — are to be fulfilled, it is necessary for all Olympians to be able to
learn about the real situation in China and to point out human rights violations
freely whenever and wherever in line with their conscience. We call on the
International Olympic Committee to make that possible.
An interpretation of the Olympic Charter, whereby human rights would be a
political topic not to be discussed in the Olympic venues, is alien to us. Human
rights are a universal and inalienable topic, enshrined in international human
rights documents that China has also signed, transcending international as well
as domestic politics and all cultures, religions and civilizations.
To speak of the conditions of human rights therefore cannot be in violation of
the Olympic Charter. To speak of human rights is not politics — only
authoritarian and totalitarian regimes try to make it so. To speak of human
rights is a duty.
We are concerned that the Beijing Olympics might simply become a giant spectacle
to distract the attention of the international public from the violations of
human and civil rights in China and in other countries in which the Chinese
government has significant influence. Therefore, we see a dignified celebration
of the Olympic ideals not only in sporting performances, but also in the
opportunity to express one’s civic attitudes.
We call on all participants of the summer Olympic Games in Beijing to use this
liberty to support those whose freedoms, even at the time of the Olympics, are
denied by the Chinese government.
Vaclav Havel is a former president of the Czech Republic, Desmond Tutu is a
Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Wei Jingsheng is an activist in the Chinese
democracy movement, most prominent for authoring the document Fifth
Modernization on the Democracy Wall in Beijing in 1978, and Andre Glucksmann is
a philosopher and essayist.
Activists hold
protests ahead of Games
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION: Pro-democracy activists, including supporters of
Tibet and Myanmar, lit candles and called on Beijing to stop repression and
abuse
By Loa Iok-sin
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Aug 08, 2008, Page 1
On the eve of the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony, about 100 people joined a
candlelight vigil in Taipei organized by several human rights groups, urging
China to fulfill its Olympic promises and stop human rights abuses.
“China said that it wants to win Olympic medals in basketball, in gymnastics —
but I want to ask China: Are you capable of winning a gold medal in human
rights?” asked Freddy Lim (林昶佐), lead vocalist of the Taiwanese heavy metal rock
band Chthonic and a long-time supporter of human rights and democracy movements
in Taiwan and China.
“I’m not asking too much of you [China], because improving human rights is a
promise that you made when you applied to host the Olympics,” Lim said.
He stood in front of a banner that read: “May the candlelight of human rights
shine over Beijing.”
In front of him, the English word “freedom” was spelled out in candles.
Lim was joined by Tibet activists, free Burma campaigners, representatives of
human rights organizations, Chinese democracy activist Wang Min (汪岷) and
Democratic Progressive Party Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
“[The Chinese government] represses Falun Gong, Tibetans and Uighurs in Xinjiang
— of course China is not qualified to host the Olympics,” Peacetime Foundation
of Taiwan executive director Chien Hsi-chieh told the crowd.
“China claims that it’s sticking to ‘Chinese-style’ human rights and democracy,
but human rights and democracy are universal: There’s no such thing as
‘Chinese-style’ democracy and human rights,” Chien said.
“With our freedom, we should help the Chinese people to promote theirs,” he
added.
Representing Burmese in Taiwan, Myanmar-born ethnic Chinese Yang Yung-chu (楊永助)
condemned China for supporting Myanmar’s military junta.
“The military junta violently cracked down on pro-democracy demonstrators last
year. It also delayed international aid to victims of Cyclone Nargis earlier
this year,” Yang said.
“While the international community strongly condemned the junta, they didn’t
care, because the Chinese government supported them because of China’s own
interests in Southeast Asia,” Yang said.
Yang also accused China of using its veto power as a permanent member of the UN
Security Council to block the UN from sanctioning the military dictatorship.
“We’d like to call on China to stop blocking UN sanction, and to withdraw its
support for the junta,” he said.
Tashi Tsering, chairman of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress-Taiwan, accusedd
China of conducting cultural genocide with the goal of completely destroying
traditional Tibetan culture by purposely transferring large numbers of
non-Tibetans into Tibet.
“I’m a foreigner in Taiwan, but if one day I go to Tibet, I’ll be a stranger in
my own country as well,” Tashi said.
The groups also suggested the public boycott the Olympics by refusing to watch
them.
Chen
ponders legal action on declassified documents
By Ko Shu-ling
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Aug 08, 2008, Page 3
“Declassifying the documents is bound to cause constitutional controversy and
sabotage national security and national interests.” — part of a statement issued
by the office of former president Chen Shui-bian
Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) is looking into taking legal action after
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) decided on Tuesday to declassify documents relating
to Chen’s use of the “state affairs fund.”
Chen’s attorney, Richard Lee (李勝琛), yesterday said Ma might be committing
treason by declassifying the documents, adding that Chen did not rule out legal
action, including filing a lawsuit or seeking a ruling from the Council of Grand
Justices on the constitutionality of Ma’s move.
“They have done the damage so we must do something,” Lee said.
Lee said Ma’s decision was not just an issue concerning Chen, but one with
potential ramifications for national interests, the implementation of the
Constitution and the safety of diplomats and agents contracted by Chen to
conduct diplomatic missions.
The documents contained information pertaining to six diplomatic missions and
were therefore protected under the Classified National Security Information
Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Lee said.
Chen’s wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), was indicted in November 2006 on corruption and
forgery charges in connection with the use of Chen’s “state affairs fund.” Chen
could not be charged at the time because of presidential immunity.
Chen was declared a defendant in the case shortly after his presidential term
ended on May 20.
Prosecutors and the court have asked the Presidential Office to declassify the
documents so that the case could continue.
ACCESS
Following Ma’s inauguration, instead of declassifying the documents, the
Presidential Office granted the court access to them. The Special Investigation
Section of the Supreme Court Prosecutors’ Office said however that access was
inadequate and sought again in June to have the documents declassified.
On Tuesday, the Presidential Office said it would declassify the documents,
adding that they should not have been classified in the first place.
Lee said yesterday that the move was unprecedented and questioned Ma’s right to
challenge his predecessor’s decisions, adding that it was dangerous for Ma to do
so without consulting Chen.
Ma does not have the authority to declassify the documents, Lee said, adding
that they did not rule out filing for a constitutional interpretation to prevent
actions contrary to the Constitution. Until then, Lee urged prosecutors and the
court to keep the documents secret.
Chen’s office yesterday issued a statement asking the public to “transcend
partisan and political calculations.”
CHAOS
“The nation would plunge into chaos if the administration used national secrets
as a tool for political gains,” the statement said. “Declassifying the documents
is bound to cause constitutional controversy and sabotage national security and
national interests.”
Chen questioned whether Ma and the task force formed by the Presidential Office
to review the classified documents had the right to do so and whether they had
intervened in the judiciary’s investigation by doing so.
He also asked in the statement whether Ma had seen all the documents and on what
basis he had concluded that documents did not constitute national secrets.
Chen also questioned whether Ma was flouting a constitutional interpretation
that the president has the right to protect national secrets.
Chen also expressed concern for the safety of those involved in the secret
diplomatic missions if the information in the documents were to be made public
during the course of the trials.
If that happened, who would shoulder the responsibility, he asked.
The Presidential Office yesterday dismissed the allegation that its decision was
politically motivated. Ma is prepared to shoulder any negative consequences of
declassifying the documents, it said.
Improved
Taiwan-US relations are a must
Edward Chen 陳一新
Friday, Aug 08, 2008, Page 8
After retiring from the post of Taiwan’s representative to Washington, Joseph Wu
(吳釗燮), a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), told reporters that
the US is Taiwan’s most important ally and that Taiwan-US relations should be
the top priority.
Ironically, Taiwan-US relations declined during former president Chen
Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) eight-year rule. But that was not really Wu’s fault and he
could not reverse the situation. Actually, the mutual trust between Taipei and
Washington all but disappeared because of Chen’s UN referendum, when even the
communication channels between government leaders were disconnected.
In his inaugural speech on May 20, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) expressed
clearly that the new government’s policy is to attach equal value to the US and
China. However, when promoting cross-strait relations, Ma has ignored
Washington’s feelings and thus caused further misunderstandings. Originally,
complaints were only heard from some Asia experts. But the situation gradually
deteriorated and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reminded Taiwan not to
forget the US when promoting cross-strait relations. Moreover, rumor has it
Washington has frozen arms sales to Taipei.
After Taiwanese national security officials and legislators visited Washington
to clarify our arms procurement and China policies, there have been reports that
the US Department of State will inform Congress after the Beijing Olympics that
Washington is proceeding with the proposed eight arms deals to Taipei. During an
interview with four Asian media outlets late last month, US President George W.
Bush said the relationship between Taiwan, China and the US is in a “better
place” now.
The impression that Ma is cold shouldering the Bush administration is probably
an unintentional mistake and Ma and his national security team understand that
Taiwan relies on the US for strategic planning, arms procurements, participation
in international organizations and ending the diplomatic battle.
Ma’s recent pledge to build cross-strait stability and rebuild mutual trust
attaches equal importance to cross-strait and Taiwan-US relations. His intention
is that, from now on, Taiwan will not push for symbolic sovereignty or provoke
China. Instead, he will adopt an open, pragmatic and flexible China policy to
improve cross-strait relations, while ending the battle over diplomatic space.
Meanwhile, he will rebuild mutual trust between Taiwan, the US and Japan for
closer cooperation, while strengthening economic competitiveness and defense
capabilities to increase the nation’s bargaining chips in future talks.
Ma believes it is urgent to repair cross-strait relations after years of
confrontation and misunderstanding. In addition, he also believes Taiwan’s
economy needs Chinese capital. The US is pleased to see the resumption of
dialogue. Therefore, Ma has actively promoted cross-strait relations. Luckily,
Bush’s remarks clarified all the speculation.
Former foreign minister Fredrick Chien (錢復) said the status of cross-strait
relations was more important than any other diplomatic relations. Without
Beijing’s nod, Taipei’s effort to expand its international space and end the
diplomatic battle would be futile. Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙) said one should not throw
his carrying pole away after winning a lottery if the pole was still carrying
the winning lottery ticket.
Today, Taiwan-US relations could be seen as the pole supporting the nation’s
diplomacy, while cross-strait relations could be seen as the winning lottery
ticket. In other words, Taiwan should not ignore its US ally as cross-strait
relations improve.
Edward Chen is a professor in the Graduate
Institute of American Studies at Tamkang University.
Translated by Eddy Chang
Taiwanese cheated by Ma
Friday, Aug 08,
2008, Page 8
Before President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) honeymoon was over, he had already had an
affair with China and belittled himself as “Mr Ma.” He has a one-sided love
affair with China, but it is wholehearted, while purposely neglecting Taiwan. If
his attitude persists, Taiwanese will suffer four years of darkness under Ma and
their democracy will be at risk.
Ma places himself on the second line in his administration. No wonder Vice
President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) has been keeping quiet and in hiding. During the
election campaign, Siew said he felt sorry for the public because of the poor
economy and criticized former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) administration
for mishandling economic policy.
Now Siew is too shy to face the nation and answer questions on the economy. The
stock market is dropping like a rock. Because of inflation, many people are
having trouble making ends meet. Is the ruling party “ready” to cope with the
current economic turmoil?
Ma has assigned himself three tasks — diplomacy, national defense and relations
with China. His performance in all three areas has been unsatisfactory to date.
Ma wants to implement a “diplomatic truce” with China. For Taiwan, this is
camouflage for “diplomatic surrender.” In national defense, Ma does not have the
courage to ask China to dismantle the 1,400 missiles aimed at Taiwan or to ask
the US to unfreeze military sales to Taiwan. He puts national security at
China’s mercy and tries to please China by giving away sovereignty in exchange
for peace. Ma thinks using the name “Chinese Taipei” for Taiwan at this year’s
Olympics is a diplomatic victory. He should review his high school English
grammar to discover that “Chinese” is the adjectival form of “China.”
Charles Hong
Columbus, Ohio
Playing the
Games for human rights
By Vaclav Havel, Desmond Tutu, Wei Jingsheng, Andre Glucksmann
Friday, Aug 08, 2008, Page 8
The selection of Beijing to organize and host this year’s Olympic Games was
accompanied by the Chinese government’s pledges of visible progress on respect
for human rights. We understood these as a condition whose fulfilment the
International Olympic Committee would demand. That is how this year’s Olympics
could contribute to a greater openness and respect for international standards
of human rights and liberties in the host country.
If the words of the Olympic Charter — stating that it is a goal of the Olympics
to “place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view
to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human
dignity” — are to be fulfilled, it is necessary for all Olympians to be able to
learn about the real situation in China and to point out human rights violations
freely whenever and wherever in line with their conscience. We call on the
International Olympic Committee to make that possible.
An interpretation of the Olympic Charter, whereby human rights would be a
political topic not to be discussed in the Olympic venues, is alien to us. Human
rights are a universal and inalienable topic, enshrined in international human
rights documents that China has also signed, transcending international as well
as domestic politics and all cultures, religions and civilizations.
To speak of the conditions of human rights therefore cannot be in violation of
the Olympic Charter. To speak of human rights is not politics — only
authoritarian and totalitarian regimes try to make it so. To speak of human
rights is a duty.
We are concerned that the Beijing Olympics might simply become a giant spectacle
to distract the attention of the international public from the violations of
human and civil rights in China and in other countries in which the Chinese
government has significant influence. Therefore, we see a dignified celebration
of the Olympic ideals not only in sporting performances, but also in the
opportunity to express one’s civic attitudes.
We call on all participants of the summer Olympic Games in Beijing to use this
liberty to support those whose freedoms, even at the time of the Olympics, are
denied by the Chinese government.
Vaclav Havel is a former president of the Czech Republic, Desmond Tutu is a
Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Wei Jingsheng is an activist in the Chinese
democracy movement, most prominent for authoring the document Fifth
Modernization on the Democracy Wall in Beijing in 1978, and Andre Glucksmann is
a philosopher and essayist.