Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Anti-corruption is no carte blanche

Chen Chun-kai 陳君愷

As many people expected, former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) received a heavy sentence — life in jail — after being found guilty in a graft case against him. After receiving the sentence, Chen’s appeal to be released from detention was, like many also expected, unsuccessful, and he remains in detention.

To no one’s surprise, pan-blue media commentators applauded the decisions and continued hurling attacks at the “corrupt family.” While anti-corruption efforts should be acknowledged and supported, it is very hard to understand how “anti-corruption” has taken precedence over the principles of having competent judges, due process and basic human rights, such as a fair defense for the accused and the presumption of innocence.

Columbus Day is not an occasion to be proud

Chi Chun-chieh 紀駿傑

Oct. 12 is Columbus Day in the US, a national holiday. On that day and the preceding couple of days, celebrations are held across the country to commemorate white Europeans’ “discovery” of the New World, which actually means occupation and colonization.

Ma Ying-jeou Recycles His Old Promises but Taiwan is None the Richer

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

The world continues to turn in Taiwan, and Ma Ying-jeou is once again the official Chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). For those whose memory is short, Ma had been chairman from 2005 to 2007 when he had to step down because he was indicted for corruption. Fortunately, Ma got his secretary to take sole and total responsibility for depositing roughly a half-million US dollars into Ma's personal bank account; as a result with his secretary in jail for putting this money in Ma's personal account, Ma has dodged the bullet. So now Ma has been re-elected chairman and is recycling his old promises. Recycling old promises, what's that?

Chen Shui-bian and Roger Lin may face death penalty in Taiwan over U.S. litigation claims

Michael Richardson

In a dramatic development that threatens the lives of two men, the longstanding American "strategic ambiguity" that has enshrouded Taiwan for 64 years is unraveling. Former Republic of China in-exile President Chen Shui-bian and Taiwanese politician and international legal expert Roger C.S. Lin have been subpoenaed by a Kaohsiung court for depositions on possible treason. The sentence for treason under the ROC administration is the death penalty.

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