Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Chen’s health no laughing matter

Taipei Times Editorial

The sanctity of life is not a laughing matter, including the life of a prisoner, whose imprisonment should not be considered a deprivation of his or her basic rights. In the case of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), his medical rights are in jeopardy. Regrettably, however, reports of Chen’s deteriorating health suggest President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and his government have not been taking the life of the nation’s former head of state seriously.

Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou Gets Caught Again with a Foot in Each of Two Boats

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

While the disputes over the sovereignty of the Diaoyutai (Senkaku) Islands continue to dominate the news, Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou finds himself once again in a conundrum that his posturing and bravado will not solve. One cannot deny that posturing has served him well on occasion in the past, but at root here is something deeper, Ma’s inability to break with his Chinese past. This attachment to his past leads to a divided thinking which in turn then dictates his unfortunate but frequent modus operandi, that of trying to keep a foot in each of two boats.

Human rights group to question Ma Ying-jeou about Chen Shui-bian’s condition

Michael Richardson

The Human Rights Action Center based in Washington, D.C. has issued a preliminary statement on the prison conditions of Chen Shui-bian, the imprisoned former president of the Republic of China in-exile. Chen has already served four years of a lengthy prison sentence following his conviction for alleged corruption during his term in office.

Speaking at Taoyuan Hospital in Taipei, Hans Wahl of the HRAC called the 23-hour days that Chen Shui-bian is confined to his tiny cell “harsh treatment” and said that an explanation for such conditions will be sought from the Ministry of Justice and President Ma Ying-jeou, Chen’s successor in office.

China’s influence must be blocked

Liberty Times Editorial

Over the past couple of weeks, university and college students in Hong Kong have launched a series of strikes aimed at forcing the government of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying (梁振英) to withdraw its order to implement a “moral and national education” curriculum in primary and secondary schools, and for the time being there is no indication that the students are going to drop their campaign.

Hong Kong is a juicy morsel in China’s mouth. Originally, the Beijing government thought that, having retrieved this choice cut from its former British colonial rulers, it could just sit back and enjoy the meal.

More Articles...