Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Ma freeing Chen chance to increase popularity

Parris Chang 張旭成

Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) began a hunger strike on Sunday in support of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who has been in prison since 2008 and suffers from multiple mental and physical disorders.

Speaking at a news conference before the hunger strike began, Lu accused the government of interfering in Chen’s trial and conviction, and violating judicial due process.

Lu served under Chen, who has been in jail for more than six years while his health deteriorated.

US court ruling belittles Taiwan

Chien-Fei Li and Wei-Jen Chen

Despite constant pressure from China to erode Taiwan’s international standing, the US has always seen the value of furthering its ties with Taiwan, a small but vibrant democracy in Asia.

In 1946, the US and Republic of China signed the Taiwan Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation to formalize cooperation between the two. And in more recent years, relations between the two have deepened substantially. In October 2012, Taiwan was included in the US’ visa waiver program, which allows Taiwanese passport holders to remain in the US for up to 90 days without a visa.

Hunger strike to protest A-bian’s jail term started

Taipei Times

Jailed former president Chen Shui-bian’s son, Chen Chih-chung, right, and other supporters sit with former vice president Annette Lu, center, in Taipei yesterday as she launches a hunger strike to demand medical parole for Chen Shui-bian.
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times

Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) began a hunger strike yesterday afternoon in support of the release of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who has been in prison since 2008 and suffers from multiple mental and physical disorders.

KMT muzzling freedom of the press

Taipei Times Editorial

Freedom of the press and of expression are important checks on the government in a democracy, and the government should always strive to protect such rights — unfortunately, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and its government seem to not understand such a fundamental principle and often file lawsuits against the media or political commentators over remarks that the party does not like.

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