Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), now identified in prison by his personal identification number, 1020, might be looking at 17 years in jail, although it could be whittled down to just 11 years behind bars. There is also the slim possibility of a presidential pardon somewhere down the road by a future Democratic Progressive Party president, perhaps as early as 2012.

For now, contemplating his fate, Chen sits in a cell in Taoyuan and is settling into his jail routine. There’s roll call each day and he’ll have to answer the guards when they ask him his name and ID number. At least three times a week, there will be exercise outside in a guarded yard with fellow inmates, one surmises, and a good soak or shower in a prison washroom twice a week, too.

As international uproar over the massive trove of secret and confidential United States diplomatic files released recently by WikiLeaks grows, officials within the Republic of China in-exile are hard at work.  The ROC officials are worried that a large cache of unreleased WikiLeaks documents are going to upset the status quo.

Revelations about duplicity in high places is having substantial political fallout in a number of countries as daily headlines blare out new deceptions by government leaders.  American relations with the People’s Republic of China and non-relations with the Republic of China are always a delicate balance in the “political purgatory” occupied by Taiwan.