Chen questions reliability of Koo testimony
　

CONFLICT: The defense contested the transcription of video recordings of Jeffrey Koo Jr, who spoke in a mixture of Mandarin, Hoklo and English
　

By Shelley Huang
STAFF REPORTER
Thursday, Mar 05, 2009, Page 3

Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and his lawyers yesterday rebutted the testimony of former Chinatrust Financial Holding Co vice chairman Jeffrey Koo Jr (辜仲諒).

The rebuttal came during the latest pre-trial hearing in his money-laundering and corruption trial at the Taipei District Court.

Chen also questioned whether the court had violated his human rights by extending his detention period.

The court began by verifying whether the statements given by Koo in the video recordings were consistent with the transcriptions as Koo spoke in a mixture of Mandarin, Hoklo (also known as Taiwanese) and English.

Chen's lawyers and prosecutors disagreed about the content on many occasions.

During the questioning, Koo said: “I don't know Tsai Ming-che (蔡銘哲) [another defendant] ... A friend introduced Tsai Ming-chieh (蔡銘杰) [Tsai Ming-che's brother] to me as [former first lady] Wu Shu-jen's (吳淑珍) chief financial officer.”

Koo said he introduced Tsai Ming-chieh to Taiwan Cement Group (台泥) chairman Leslie Koo (辜成允). Prosecutors allege Chen received kickbacks from the sale of a plot of Leslie Koo-owned land in Longtan (龍潭), Taoyuan County, to the Hsinchu Science Park Administration.

After the deal was completed, Wu allegedly told Jeffrey Koo: “You owe me NT$400 million [US$11.4 million].”

Koo said Wu became angry when she discovered that she should have received NT$400 million, but only received NT$200 million.

“Wu said, 'I think Tsai Ming-chieh stole money from me.' I would never forget this sentence,” Jeffrey Koo said.

He added that the former first lady had “become kind of strange from being cooped up [at home].”

He said that ever since Chen became mayor of Taipei, Chen would tell him the “big picture,” while the former first lady would tell him the actual amount of money to be paid.

“The president would never tell you how much money he wants,” he said.

Prosecutors allege that the Koo's Group had secured billions of NT dollars in kickbacks from selling land to the government for the development of an industrial park after giving NT$400 million to Chen and his wife.

Wu has admitted taking NT$200 million and insisted it was a political donation.

After reviewing about an hour of the video recording, Cheng Wen-lung (鄭文龍), one of Chen's lawyers, accused the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) of not transcribing certain parts of Jeffrey Koo's testimony.

Cheng used the example of when Jeffrey Koo said: “[Wu Shu-jen] doesn't like it when Chen Shui-bian meddles in her affairs.”

Cheng said this rebuts the part in the petition that said whatever the first lady knew, Chen also knew.

Cheng also quoted Jeffrey Koo as saying, “this door has closed,” which he said proved that the former president did not accept lobbying by enterprises.

In his own defense, Chen said: “Jeffrey Koo's relationship with my wife has exceeded my relationship with my wife by far.”

Chen said Jeffrey Koo should not be a witness, but a suspect, because he is heavily involved in the case. He also questioned the validity of Koo's testimony and suspected that prosecutors asked leading questions to produce the answers they wanted. He added that prosecutors violated protocol by revealing the testimony of others to Jeffrey Koo.

Throughout his rebuttal of the statements, Chen made several comments about Presiding Judge Tsai Shou-hsun's (蔡守訓) decision to extend his detention.

“Today, you indict me, keep me detained and extend my detention ... What about my human rights?” he said.

“Where in the Code of Criminal Procedure does it state that a detainee may not publish books?” he asked.

Chen spoke for more than an hour before Tsai ordered a one-hour lunch recess at 2:30pm.

When the hearing resumed at 3:30pm, the court went through video recordings of testimonies by Leslie Koo and the former president's bookkeeper, Chen Chen-hui (陳鎮慧).

Chen Shui-bian's lawyers accused the SIP of tampering with the recording to erase testimony that supported the defendants.

Prosecutors responded by saying that some parts of the recording had no sound because the equipment malfunctioned. They also insisted that the testimonies would still be admissible and the fact that the time written on the transcription and the video recording was inconsistent was not enough to dismiss the testimony.

The next hearing, scheduled for Tuesday, will examine the testimony of James Lee (李界木), the former director-general of the Hsinchu Science Park Administration.

Meanwhile, in response to Chen office's plan to highlight the former president's case in an international press conference, Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng (王清峰) urged the office not to “discredit Taiwan's judicial system.”

“Taiwan's judicial system is not as ugly [as Chen's office says],” Wang said when approached outside the legislature.

“We expect everyone to respect the judiciary while the judiciary also deserves our respect. Discrediting our own country will not do anybody any good,” she said.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) said it would be useless for the former president to “complain” to international reporters, adding that Chen Shui-bian's detention might be extended again if his office held the conference.

Aborigines urge Ma to fulfill autonomy promise
　

By Loa Iok-sin
STAFF REPORTER
Thursday, Mar 05, 2009, Page 3

Worried that their tribe's culture and language may soon perish, Saisiat Aborigines yesterday demanded the government fulfill President Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) campaign promise on Aboriginal autonomy as soon as possible.

“We, the Saisiat, are facing a crisis in our language and culture because outside governments — from the Japanese to the Republic of China — have restricted our right to speak our own language,” Saisiat chieftain Chao Shan-yu (趙山玉) told a news conference at the legislature before marching to the Executive Yuan to deliver a petition with dozens of other Saisiat tribesmen.

“There are not many of us — less than 10,000 — but we're determined to preserve our culture and language, and we urge the government to respect our rights and take our demands seriously,” Chao said.

Chao Shan-ho (趙山河), the deputy speaker of the Saisiat Assembly, said while his tribe has been actively preparing for tribal autonomy since the Aboriginal Basic Act (原住民族基本法) — which provides a legal basis for Aboriginal autonomy — took effect in 2005, they were shocked when UNESCO listed the Saisiat language as “critically endangered” in a report released last month and they believe autonomy is now an urgent matter.

The Saisiat assembly was modeled on the traditional tribal decision-­making mechanism and was set up more than three years ago. Last year, an election was held for the assembly's lower house and a Saisiat autonomy bill was drafted.

After being ruled by various governments, the Saisiats now realize that the only way to preserve their language, culture and social system is through autonomy.

“We are calling on the government to lend us a hand,” Chao said.

The Saisiat have been actively preparing for tribal autonomy, but they are not happy that the government has ignored their wishes.

“President Ma promised Aboriginal autonomy 'on a trial basis' and we've been working hard to prepare for it, yet we haven't heard anything back from the government,” assembly spokesman Obay a Awi said. “The government should listen to our voices and not make policy decisions from the top.”

The tribesmen later marched to the Executive Yuan and were received by officials who accepted their petition.

“We'll wait for a response from the Cabinet for a month. If nothing happens we will take other action,” Obay said after walking out of the Executive Yuan.

He said the Saisiat were considering coordinated action with other Aboriginal tribes seeking autonomy to pressure the government.

Word games don’t help the numbers

Thursday, Mar 05, 2009, Page 8

Less than a year into President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) four-year term, his administration has already produced some bleak figures for the nation. Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics figures state that the nation’s unemployment rate surged to a seven-year high of 5.31 percent in January.

Statistics from the Ministry of Economic Affairs show that the nation’s export orders in January saw a record decline of 41.67 percent. Ministry of Education tallies show that approximately 240,000 elementary and junior high school students cannot afford their lunch fees this semester.

Along with these depressing numbers, there has been an increase in news reports about children quitting school because their families can’t afford tuition, and individuals taking their own lives because of unbearable financial burdens resulting from long-term unemployment.

“The people’s pain is my pain and your suffering is my suffering,” Ma has repeatedly said.

By the looks of things, many people are indeed suffering, but how much of their suffering is Ma feeling?

Granted, the global economic climate is unfavorable and nearly all countries have felt the economic crunch, but we are struggling to see hard action that shows the government cares and is working to help reduce their suffering.

Instead, stringent qualifications were put in place making it difficult for low-income families to receive subsidies from the government, while last month there was a report that the Department of Health was mulling an increase in National Health Insurance (NHI) premiums — an idea that wasn’t shelved until there was significant public outcry.

During the presidential campaign last year, Ma said he would donate half of his salary if his campaign pledges were not realized. A puerile gimmick, indeed.

In an interview with the Mexican daily El Sol de Mexico last September, Ma said that his “6-3-3” economic policy — annual economic growth of 6 percent, annual per capita income of US$30,000 by 2016 and an unemployment rate of less than 3 percent — would not be realized in four years. But if voters elected him again, he said, those promises would be actualized in the last year of his second term.

If the recent dismal figures released by the government are any indication, the public can ill-afford to spend four years — let alone eight — waiting as Ma adjusts the window-dressing on his policies.

Rather than portraying China as the solution and engaging in word games over whether to call an economic pact with Beijing a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) or an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA), the Ma administration would be better off focusing its resources on remedies that can provide timely help for the needy and for those itching to be productive before these sad statistics climb.

From prison to paradise

Thursday, Mar 05, 2009, Page 13

Thirty kilometers from Taitung City off the southeastern coast of Taiwan lies Green Island, a tiny islet of only 16.2km² with about 2,000 residents.

Previously overlooked by vacationers, the island was better known as the place to which the government banished political prisoners during the martial law period from 1949 to 1987. The old prison stands as a stark reminder of that dark chapter in Taiwanese history. A second prison remains active.

Also detracting from the island’s travel destination appeal was the notorious boat ride from Taitung. A strong current runs through the nearby waters making the boat ride choppy and some passengers seasick. Vomit bags are provided at every seat.

Despite these factors, in recent years tourists have flocked here, with hundreds to thousands arriving daily during the peak summer season.

Visitors come because Green Island has everything else going for it: a beautiful landscape, spectacular rock formations jutting out from the shore, ocean views, green hills and open spaces, a laid-back atmosphere and perhaps most important of all — beautiful coral reefs.

It’s especially popular with snorkelers, scuba divers, swimmers and people who just want some peace and quiet away from grind of urban life.

Green Island’s beautiful scenery is the result of its having been formed by ancient volcanic activity. Over the years, wind and tides have sculpted the rocks along the coastline into shapes supposedly resembling people and animals, hence their names: Sleeping Beauty (睡美人), Pekinese Dog (哈巴狗), Ox Head Hill (牛頭山) and Confucius Rock (孔子岩). Trying to figure out which rock is which can provide some idle entertainment.

But perhaps the most popular attraction is found underwater.

Coral reefs surround the island, providing refuge for a wide range of marine life. More than 150 species of hard coral and at least 50 types of soft coral are believed to exist in the surrounding waters. Some of the species are unique to the Black Tide, a strong current in the northern part of the western Pacific Ocean, which begins off Taiwan’s east coast and flows northwest.

The underwater scenery around Green Island is considered some of the best in the world, according to Taiwanese diving experts who have dived in other popular places such as Palau, the Philippines and Malaysia.

Divers and snorkelers head to the Shihlang Diving Area (石朗潛水區), Chaikou Diving Area (柴口潛水區), and Dabaisha Diving Area (大白沙潛水區), which is also good for swimming.

Even non-swimmers can enjoy the rich coral resources because they lie in shallow waters.

For those who don’t want to get their feet wet, glass-bottom boats offer rides that can open one’s eyes to the marine world.

Yet the island is confronted by challenges it has never faced before because of increased tourism and over-fishing.

Although there are only 2,000 long-term residents, 6,000 motorbikes are registered on Green Island to cater to the tourist market. Most tourists prefer to whisk around the normally placid island road by scooter than by bicycle, despite a campaign by the local office of the Tourism Bureau to promote the latter.

Tourists who don’t know how to dive or snorkel also damage the coral when they float in groups on the shallow water, said Lin Su-ling (林抒琳), recreation section chief of the Tourism Bureau’s East Coast National Scenic Area Administration.

“They get scared in the water so they stand up, stepping on the corals,” said Lin.

Her office hopes to improve the quality of tourism on the island.

“We hope tourists will spend two or three days in Green Island, instead of rushing around, so that they can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, help the local economy by staying in the homestays, and learn to snorkel or dive properly,” said Lin.

Islanders are also contributing to the destruction of the natural environment. Local fishermen use methods that harm the fishery resources, including fishing “guns” (actually spears), fish bombs and overfishing — causing a drastic reduction in coral reef fish, except at two areas that are protected, residents said.

“The coral is still very pretty. Green Island’s coral reefs are among the top 10 in the world. The biggest problem is the fish are almost all gone,” said Yu Ming-hung (俞明宏), a local diving instructor of the Flying Fish Diving Center (飛魚潛水). Yu remembers seeing significantly more fish when he moved from Taipei to Green Island four years ago.

The fishermen also lure the fish to the water’s surface with bright lights at night and catch even small fish, not just the mature ones.

“Fish near corals should be protected,” Yu said. “It takes several years for the fish to grow to maturity.”

Alarmed by the environmental damage, some residents have formed the Green Island Township Ecology Protection Association (綠島生態保護協會), which is urging the government to do more to protect the island’s precious natural resources, such as by encouraging fishermen to change their methods or helping them transition into other careers as coastal clean-up crews or protection workers.

“There are only about 25 people who depend on fishing for a living or for their own food; the government can easily stop the destruction to fishery resources by giving these people other jobs,” said association head Tien Hui-hung (田輝鴻).

Coral reef fish may contain ciguatoxin, which can harm the brain and nervous system, but restaurants buy the fish from the fishermen and consumers eat them because the fish look pretty and are tasty, Yu said. But the level of ciguatoxin in the fish is apparently not high enough to have caused local consumers to get sick.

The Taitung County government office in charge of managing the fishery industry said inappropriate fishing is not the only cause of the problem. Climate change has also caused the fish population to decline, county officials said, but they said that laws currently allow fishermen to use harmful methods, such as lights at night, and fishing is allowed in all coral reef areas around the island, except the two small protected zones — the Shihlang Diving Area (石朗潛水區) and Chaikou Diving Area (柴口潛水區), which on a map look like two dots on the coastline.

Although the economic downturn and several typhoons caused the number of tourists to drop to 310,000 last year, down from about 380,000 in recent years, the number of people visiting Green Island is expected to increase in the long term.

As people cut back on overseas travel due to the lack of year-end bonuses or salary raises, Green Island may be seen as a perfect option — one that is easy to get to and inexpensive.

Tourists, however, can do a lot to protect Green Island’s ecology by simply renting bicycles instead of scooters, taking care to not damage coral when they are in the water, and not ordering coral reef fish on menus.