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Former president releases new book
By Vincent Y. Chao / Staff Reporter
Copies of former president Chen Shui-bian’s
latest book, titled The 1.86 Ping Presidential Office, are on display during its
launch yesterday in Taipei. The book discusses the political situation in Taiwan
during Chen’s eight-year presidency as well as his reflections on two years in
detention.
PHOTO: CNA
After almost 700 days in detention, former president Chen
Shui-bian (陳水扁) would not flee the country if he were released, he says in a new
book that he wrote while incarcerated at the Taipei Detention Center.
“I choose to confront rather than escape,” he says, speaking of his legal
troubles, including accusations that he committed forgery, embezzled state funds
and laundered money through Swiss bank accounts.
“That my views have been distorted to try and show that I am set on running away
is something that I cannot bear and is the biggest indignity of my entire life
spent loving Taiwan,” he adds. “For 30 years I’ve chosen to stay in Taiwan … and
no matter how difficult the [path], how big the shock or even if I have to sit
in a wheelchair in prison, I will have no complaints.”
The 1.86 Ping Presidential Office was released yesterday and was named in
reference to the size of his detention cell in Tucheng (土城), Taipei County,
which is equivalent to 6.15m2. It’s the third book Chen has written while
incarcerated.
The book offers his commentary on cross-strait relations, Taiwanese independence
and includes a -scathing critique of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九)
administration.
It also offers a rare glimpse into Chen’s life behind bars. Prosecutors have
said that detaining Chen while he waits for a ruling from the Supreme Court is
necessary because he presents a flight risk and still has money in overseas bank
accounts.
“Today we are releasing a very special book. Under normal circumstances, the
author would come and introduce the important parts of the book or his thoughts
writing it,” said Chen’s former university teacher Lee Hong-hsi (李鴻禧), an
honorary professor at National Taiwan University’s College of Law. “But our
author is still in his 1.86 ping ‘Presidential Office.’”
Joining Lee at the book release yesterday at Chen’s office in Taipei were a
number of Chen’s supporters, including Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬), DPP Executive Committee member Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁)
and members of the “One Side, One Country” alliance that Chen Shui-bian is
hoping to turn into a political movement.
The publisher, the non-profit Ketagalan Foundation, expects that the first print
run of 10,000 copies will hit bookshelves either today or tomorrow.
The 382-page book, priced at NT$400, is expected to benefit the former
president’s office, which has publicized its financial difficulty after a
legislative amendment in July revoked Chen Shui-bian’s perks as a former head of
state.
Written between the middle of last year and June this year, the book opens by
comparing his prison experience with that of Charles Colson, a special counsel
for former US president Richard Nixon who was detained but never charged in
connection with the Watergate scandal.
Chen Shui-bian writes that: “On the afternoon of June 10, 2009, I was cleaning
the toilet, something I have to do every other day.”
“I was concentrating on the task, using laundry detergent and a cloth, which I
was rubbing repeatedly inside and outside the bowl,” he said. “This is my simple
personal philosophy … do everything well and whole-heartedly, whatever it is.”
Repeatedly, he calls the detention center a “forsaken place,” and says he would
especially like to meet Ma, to “thank [him] for imprisoning me in the forsaken
place after I left the presidency.”
He heavily criticizes the Ma administration’s China policies, suggesting that
they are overly friendly and detrimental to Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Chen Sung-shan (陳淞山), the former president’s office director, said that this
would not be the final book released by the former president in prison.
“The longer the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] keeps him locked up, the more
books he will be releasing,” Gao said. “It’s not easy, but he’s becoming quite
the author.
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