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Legislator Hsu-Chung-hsin
believes that China controls Ma Ying-jeou on Chen case
January 23, 2013 By: Michael Richardson
http://www.examiner.com/article/legislator-hsu-chung-hsin-believes-that-china-controls-ma-ying-jeou-on-chen-case
Legislator Hsu Chung-hsin
Credits: Mary Loan
Taiwan Political Prisoner Report, Jan. 23,
2013. Legislator Hsu-Chung-hsin, a member of the Taiwan Solidarity Union, has
spoken out in defense of imprisoned Chen Shui-bian, the former Democratic
Progressive Party president of the Republic of China in-exile. Chen is serving a
lengthy prison sentence for alleged corruption following a controversial trial
after leaving office. Hsu granted an interview at his legislative office.
Legislator Hsu, also a law professor, sees Chen¡¦s case as one of Chinese vs.
Taiwanese: ¡§I think President Chen, as a Taiwanese voice, must be heard in the
Western world because we Taiwanese people have no international stage to show
our determination, our will to be the master of our own. President is one of our
former leaders and his activity was for Taiwan independence. President Ma and
China would like to put him in jail to deter Taiwanese from any independence
movement. That is not fair for us.¡¨
¡§Some people even think that behind President Ma there is China. So the general
treatment of President Chen should be decided by President Ma instead of China.
If we talk about President Chen leaving the prison then China has the deciding
role. If China says no, you have to put him in jail, then President Ma will go
on to put President Chen in jail. So I think that President Ma and China are the
two responsible for President Chen¡¦s mistreatment,¡¨ said Hsu.
¡§The problem is we Taiwanese people, like me, who have had a chance to learn
English and can speak with you, and become legislators, like me, are very few,
not many,¡¨ explained Hus. ¡§Most of the public officials, especially those
responsible for Taiwan¡¦s foreign affairs, mass media and communications¡Xthey are
mainlanders. They come from China after 1949. My ancestors were here in Taiwan
for more than 400 years. Taiwanese like me, not many can be educated in the
world, in the Western world. So, not many people can speak for the Taiwanese. I
am lucky to be educated in England and I am lucky to have you here so I can
report this case to you to tell people and to awaken the Western world.¡¨
¡§The people who are responsible for our foreign affairs, and our information
office, public information office, they are Kuomintang-related or they are
mainlanders. They don¡¦t want to tell the world the true facts, they just same
something for the KMT and they crowd out the Taiwanese voice which cannot be
heard by the Western world,¡¨ said Hsu.
Legislator Hsu emphasized: ¡§The Taiwanese people need to have a fair chance in a
way to make our own decisions about Taiwan¡¦s future. We hope the Western world
will not just focus on the Chinese market, not just focus on Chinese influence
in the world. We have to treat Taiwanese people, because they have been isolated
for a long time, we have to treat Taiwanese people fairly. The Taiwanese voice
cannot be heard because the KMT government does not express our wish and
opinion. The KMT just represents Chinese people¡¦s thinking, and the Chinese
government¡¦s view. We, Taiwanese people, have our own opinion and view, and we
have our own country and we would like the world to treat Taiwanese fairly and
to support Taiwan in the future.¡¨
¡§President Chen is one of our important leaders; please help President Cen to
get out.¡¨
Legislator Hsu offered a short history lesson: ¡§Taiwanese pride has suffered
from brutal treatment by the KMT before the 1970s. China has gotten stronger and
stronger. The KMT is so rich. The KMT took so much money. In the past, when the
Japanese government left, the Japanese government¡¦s property and Japanese
industry were all confiscated by the KMT. And the KMT took the money, not as
this country¡¦s money, they channeled the money into KMT¡¦s pockets. The KMT
became rich. And not just the KMT, the key members of the KMT also share in the
benefit. So Japanese property became KMT property and became KMT member¡¦s
personal property.¡¨
¡§Because the KMT is so rich now in the elections ahead they have so many
resources but our people don¡¦t have these kind of resources. So President Chen
has to rely on donations, donations from the enterprises, donations from the
people, so this type of donation is for the Taiwanese people to have a fair
competition with the KMT. But they said that is corruption, that is a bribe and
they put President Chen in jail.¡¨
¡§In order to compete with the KMT, no money no competition. Donations from the
enterprises, from the public, is the only way. If there is no exchange,
give-and-take, then it will fail,¡¨ said Hsu of the political realities of
Taiwanese elections.
¡§I¡¦m so happy you can come to Taiwan and make our voice heard.¡¨
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