On Sept. 2, Newtalk Internet News reporter Lin Chao-i (林朝億) reported on meetings of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) and media representatives with members of the National Communications Commission (NCC) to discuss speeding up the process of approving the Want Want China Times media conglomerate takeover of China Network Systems, Taiwan’s second-largest cable television provider.
The headline of Lin’s article called this an attempt to pressure the NCC.
Hsieh claimed to be unhappy with the word “pressure” (施壓) and on Oct. 14 filed a lawsuit against Lin alleging “criminal defamation,” and naming Newtalk chairman Su Tzen-ping (蘇正平) as co-defendant.
Hsieh also requested that the court immediately impose a “provisional seizure” of Lin and Su’s assets to go toward his demand of NT$2.5 million (US$83,000) in damages.
The Taipei District Court granted this request.
It should be noted that Hsieh is a senior KMT legislator representing Keelung. He is also the KMT legislative whip and chair of the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee. It is not clear how any of these important functions relate to his meeting with the NCC on this matter.
Lin is president of the Association of Taiwanese Journalists. Su was director-general of the Government Information Office during the previous DPP administration.
We note that Hsieh waited well over a month before launching this lawsuit.
As of the date of this statement, it was reported that in response to a public outcry, Hsieh stated that he would withdraw the demand for the provisional seizure of assets, but plans to continue with the lawsuit.
The Taiwanese Human Rights Association of Canada (THRAC) is deeply concerned about this case and makes the following statement:
One, for an experienced reporter to conclude that Hsieh’s actions look like “pressure” is an unremarkable deduction, which can stand the test of public opinion. In the normal course of political reporting, even in Canada, this hardly constitutes “defamation.”
Two, we urge Hsieh to withdraw this lawsuit against Su and Lin.
Three, for a legislator to demand, even before the court has passed sentence, that a journalist’s livelihood should be put into difficulty by freezing his bank account and withholding part of his salary is a shocking abuse of power that threatens all public media and puts a chill on freedom of the press.
Four, the THRAC expresses its dismay at the court’s decision to impose a provisional seizure of assets.
We urge the minister of justice to undertake legal revisions to strictly limit the use of defamation laws.
This is especially urgent in light of this case and a new UN Human Rights Committee statement urging limits on the use of defamation cases by state parties to limit freedom of expression.
Five, we request that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who is also the KMT chairman, make a clear statement disassociating his party from Hsieh’s actions and issue instructions to all KMT political figures to refrain from any use of defamation laws against the press, except in the most egregious instances.
We urge the president to give his party’s support to a revision of defamation laws consistent with the recent comments of the UN Human Rights Committee.
Taiwanese Human Rights Association of Canada president Michael Stainton and the association’s executive committee.
US President Donald Trump has gotten off to a head-spinning start in his foreign policy. He has pressured Denmark to cede Greenland to the United States, threatened to take over the Panama Canal, urged Canada to become the 51st US state, unilaterally renamed the Gulf of Mexico to “the Gulf of America” and announced plans for the United States to annex and administer Gaza. He has imposed and then suspended 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico for their roles in the flow of fentanyl into the United States, while at the same time increasing tariffs on China by 10
Trying to force a partnership between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Intel Corp would be a wildly complex ordeal. Already, the reported request from the Trump administration for TSMC to take a controlling stake in Intel’s US factories is facing valid questions about feasibility from all sides. Washington would likely not support a foreign company operating Intel’s domestic factories, Reuters reported — just look at how that is going over in the steel sector. Meanwhile, many in Taiwan are concerned about the company being forced to transfer its bleeding-edge tech capabilities and give up its strategic advantage. This is especially
US President Donald Trump last week announced plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on eight countries. As Taiwan, a key hub for semiconductor manufacturing, is among them, the policy would significantly affect the country. In response, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) dispatched two officials to the US for negotiations, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) board of directors convened its first-ever meeting in the US. Those developments highlight how the US’ unstable trade policies are posing a growing threat to Taiwan. Can the US truly gain an advantage in chip manufacturing by reversing trade liberalization? Is it realistic to
Last week, 24 Republican representatives in the US Congress proposed a resolution calling for US President Donald Trump’s administration to abandon the US’ “one China” policy, calling it outdated, counterproductive and not reflective of reality, and to restore official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, enter bilateral free-trade agreement negotiations and support its entry into international organizations. That is an exciting and inspiring development. To help the US government and other nations further understand that Taiwan is not a part of China, that those “one China” policies are contrary to the fact that the two countries across the Taiwan Strait are independent and
RSS