Former president Chen Shui-bian yesterday maintained his silence during his trial for corruption, but expressed his anger through a spokesperson about his son and daughter being named as defendants in a related perjury case.

Yesterday was the first day of a week of consecutive full-day court appearances for the former president. Hundreds of his supporters again gathered outside the Taipei District Court to show their dissatisfaction with the judicial process.

A congressman has asked US President Barack Obama to become directly involved in the growing controversy over the future of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD).

Robert Andrews, a Democrat from New Jersey, said in a letter to the White House that the TFD’s existence and present general policy directions were very much in line with the “fundamental values of democracy and human rights which Taiwan shares with the US.”

PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Supporters of former president Chen Shui-bian were yesterday involved in violent clashes with the police outside the Taipei District Court, where the former president and some of his former aides are being tried.

Hundreds of Chen’s supporters gathered outside the court building yesterday, wearing green T-shirts and carrying signs with slogans such as “Release A-bian now” and “No police state.”