Former US attorney-general Ramsey Clark, a longtime advocate for Taiwanese democracy, yesterday visited former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in Taipei Prison and said that the government should release Chen immediately.
Clark visited Chen in the afternoon, accompanied by former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) and Chen’s son, Chen Chih-chung (陳致中).
After the 80-minute visit, Clark left the prison and told hundreds of Chen Shui-bian supporters that the former president’s health was deteriorating and that he needed be freed immediately.
Photo: Yu Juei-jen, Taipei Times
Taiwanese should stand up to support the release of Chen Shui-bian, he said.
Clark said Chen Shui-bian should receive appropriate medical treatment, as well as his human rights. All people in Taiwan should call for Chen Shui-bian’s release and only people power could make it happen, he said.
Hundreds of supporters cheered Clark’s remarks.
Clark also told reporters that the former president was clearly suffering and very ill.
“I respect his courage. He has a strong will. He is upheld by people’s support and I believe he will regain his strength after he is released,” Clark said.
He said Chen Shui-bian’s release would be good for Taiwanese and for all political parties.
He added that a report on Chen Shui-bian’s situation would be submitted to concerned US governmental departments and said he hoped President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) would consider freeing the former leader.
Chen Shui-bian is serving a 17-and-a-half-year prison term on corruption charges. During his incarceration, he has complained about several physical ailments, including chest pains.
An internationally renowned defender of human rights, Clark flew to Taiwan in 1980 to express concerns over what came to be known as the Formosa Incident, also known as the Kaohsiung Incident, during which riot police cracked down on protesters calling for political rights.
EXPRESSING GRATITUDE: Without its Taiwanese partners which are ‘working around the clock,’ Nvidia could not meet AI demand, CEO Jensen Huang said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp have partnered with each other on silicon photonics development, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said. Speaking with reporters after he met with TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) in Taipei on Friday, Huang said his company was working with the world’s largest contract chipmaker on silicon photonics, but admitted it was unlikely for the cooperation to yield results any time soon, and both sides would need several years to achieve concrete outcomes. To have a stake in the silicon photonics supply chain, TSMC and
SILICON VALLEY HUB: The office would showcase Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and help Taiwanese start-ups connect with global opportunities Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley in California, aimed at helping Taiwanese technology start-ups gain global visibility, the National Development Council said yesterday. The “Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley hub” at No. 299 California Avenue is focused on “supporting start-ups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” the council said in a post on its Web site. The office is the second overseas start-up hub established by the council, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September last year. Representatives from Taiwanese start-ups, local businesses and
‘DETERRENT’: US national security adviser-designate Mike Waltz said that he wants to speed up deliveries of weapons purchased by Taiwan to deter threats from China US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, affirmed his commitment to peace in the Taiwan Strait during his confirmation hearing in Washington on Tuesday. Hegseth called China “the most comprehensive and serious challenge to US national security” and said that he would aim to limit Beijing’s expansion in the Indo-Pacific region, Voice of America reported. He would also adhere to long-standing policies to prevent miscalculations, Hegseth added. The US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing was the first for a nominee of Trump’s incoming Cabinet, and questions mostly focused on whether he was fit for the
SHARED VALUES: The US, Taiwan and other allies hope to maintain the cross-strait ‘status quo’ to foster regional prosperity and growth, the former US vice president said Former US vice president Mike Pence yesterday vowed to continue to support US-Taiwan relations, and to defend the security and interests of both countries and the free world. At a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Pence said that the US and Taiwan enjoy strong and continued friendship based on the shared values of freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Such foundations exceed limitations imposed by geography and culture, said Pence, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time. The US and Taiwan have shared interests, and Americans are increasingly concerned about China’s
RSS