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Pressure mounts on Ma
to answer open letter’s allegations
By Chris Wang / Staff Reporter
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) came under fire yesterday after the publication of
an open letter by a group of international academics and observers of Taiwanese
politics, who expressed concern over the lack of evenhandedness and impartiality
in the judicial system’s handling of a corruption case against former president
Lee Teng-hui (李登輝).
The letter, signed by 39 academics and published in the Taipei Times (Letter,
Aug. 2, page 8), expressed concern about “erosion of justice and democracy in
Taiwan” as exemplified by the corruption case against Lee, who was charged on
June 30 with embezzling US$7.8 million from secret diplomatic funds.
The letter said the timing of the charges, which came 16 years after the alleged
events took place, was questionable and added that the indictment was likely
brought because of Lee’s outspokenness on current political issues, in
particular the January presidential election.
They also said that “the problem with the administration of secret diplomatic
funds appears to be systemic, primarily because of the lack of transparency
associated with the funds and vague guidelines for their use,” and if Lee was
indicted, other high-ranking officials at the time should also be investigated.
The signatories urged the Ma administration to “ensure that the judicial system
is held to the highest standards of objectivity and fairness.”
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said
yesterday that the Lee case was not the first time that the Ma administration
has pursued charges against pan-green politicians nor was the letter the first
time foreign observers have expressed concern about judicial practices under the
Ma government.
“When a leader uses the judiciary as a tool to rule, we don’t see much
difference between this leader and [Nazi leader] Adolph Hitler,” Chen said.
Chen urged Ma to respond seriously to the open letter seriously because judicial
practices under his administration have jeopardized public trust in judicial
integrity and have hurt Taiwan’s global image.
A previous letter signed by 34 international observers, including former
American Institute in Taiwan chairman Nat Bellocchi, in April expressed similar
concerns regarding charges that thousands of documents had gone missing under
prominent former DPP officials. At the time, the Presidential Office denied the
charges were “politically motivated” and said the accusation in the open letter
was “groundless.”
Presidential Office spokesman Fan Chiang Tai-chi (范姜泰基) said yesterday that Ma
had on numerous occasions stressed his respect for the judiciary and promised
not to interfere with individual cases.
“For President Ma, judicial independence is a crucial line of defense in a
democratic nation and it requires a joint effort by the government, the
opposition parties and the public to protect it,” he said. “Time will prove that
President Ma has always respected the judicial process and that there is
judicial independence.”
Ma had made similar statements on Lee’s indictment in a press conference last
month, saying that he respected the judiciary and that he would not allow any
interference in ongoing legal cases.
Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chiH
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