Concerns about the political independence of prosecutors in Taiwan have “reached new heights,” an annual report issued on Thursday by the US-based human rights watchdog Freedom House said.
In particular, the Special Investigation Division (SID) of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, which is tasked with investigating high-profile cases, was singled out for criticism.
The report highlighted the “political crisis” that erupted in September last year, when President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) attempted to oust Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) based on accusations by the SID.
Despite the SID’s actions, Taiwan won high marks for democracy.
“Taiwan remained one of the best performers in Asia in 2013, as its civil society gained additional ground in influencing political debate and government policy,” the report titled Freedom in the World 2014 said.
The report also mentioned as examples of democracy the National Communications Commission’s rejection of a media conglomerate’s bid to purchase Taiwan’s second-largest cable TV provider and the collapse of efforts by a mostly China-based conglomerate to buy the Taiwanese assets of Hong Kong’s Next Media Group.
“A growing number of social movements led by students and civil society groups took place in Taiwan in 2013, initiatives that in the past had mostly been organized by political parties,” the report said.
On a scale of 1 to 7 — with 1 being the most free and 7 being the most restrictive — Taiwan was given top marks (1) for political rights and near top marks (2) for civil liberties.
This gave the country an overall “freedom rating” of 1.5 and a status of “free” — which was the same as last year.
China was judged “not free,” with the lowest possible rating of 7 for political rights and 6 for civil liberties.
The report said that over the past five years, the Asia-Pacific region has been the only place to record gains in political rights and civil liberties even though it was home to China, where more than half the world’s “not free” population lived, and North Korea, the “least free” country in the world.
“A number of Asia-Pacific countries have made impressive gains in the institutions of electoral democracy — elections, political parties and pluralism — and in freedom of association,” the report said.
Globally, the “state of freedom” declined for the eighth consecutive year.
Particularly notable were developments in Egypt, which endured across-the-board reversals in its democratic institutions following a military coup, the report said.
“There were also serious setbacks in democratic rights in other large, politically influential countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Venezuela and Indonesia,” it said.
Freedom House claims that its annual report is the “oldest, most authoritative report on democracy and human rights.”
Worldwide, 54 countries showed declines in political rights and civil liberties over the past year, while 40 showed gains.
The number of countries designated as “free” stood at 88, representing 45 percent of the world’s 195 countries, and the number qualifying as “partly free” stood at 59 percent or 25 percent of the world total.
There were 48 “not free” countries.
“This was not a year distinguished by political leaders who showed much inclination toward abandoning bitterness and embracing adversaries,” Freedom House vice president Arch Puddington said.
“To make matters worse, some of those who bear responsibility for serious atrocities and acts of repression were not only spared the world’s opprobrium, but in some cases drew admiring comments for their strong leadership and statesmanship,” Puddington said.
He said that despite official rhetoric about fighting corruption, improving the rule of law and inviting input from society, the new Chinese Communist Party leadership under President Xi Jinping (習近平) had proven even more intolerant of dissent than its predecessors.
BAIL APPEALS: The former vice premier was ordered to be held incommunicado despite twice being granted bail and paying a total of NT$12 million in bond The Taoyuan District Court yesterday ordered the detention of former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who is being investigated for alleged corruption while serving as Taoyuan mayor from December 2014 to December 2022, and that he be held incommunicado. The court made the ruling during a bail hearing after prosecutors appealed its bail ruling twice. Cheng on Saturday was released after posting bail of NT$5 million (US$153,818). However, after prosecutors lodged an appeal, the High Court on Monday revoked the original ruling and ordered the Taoyuan District Court to hold another bail hearing. On Tuesday, the district court granted bail to Cheng a second
The Thai government on Friday announced that Taiwanese would be allowed to stay in the country for up to 60 days per entry, under the Southeast Asian country’s visa-free program starting from today. Taiwan is among 93 countries included in the Thai visa-waiver program, which has been expanded from 57 countries, with the visa-exempt entry extended from 30 to 60 days. After taking office last year, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to grant more visa waivers to foreign travelers as part of efforts to stimulate tourism. The expanded visa-waiver program was on Friday signed by Thai Minister of the Interior Anutin
PEACE AND SECURITY: China’s military ambitions present ‘the greatest strategic challenge to Japan and the world, Japan’s annual defense white paper said yesterday Japan yesterday warned that China risked escalating tensions with Taiwan with an increase in military exercises that appeared aimed in part at readying Beijing’s forces for a possible invasion. Japan’s annual assessment of security threats, including those posed by China, North Korea and Russia, comes as Taiwan closely monitors Chinese People’s Liberation Army air and sea exercises, including one with the Shandong aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. The drills are the latest in a series including maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait last year that a senior US general said would be key to any invasion. “Because of that increase in military activity,
HAN KUANG: The exercises, which are to run from July 22 to 26, will feature unscripted war games and a decentralized command and control structure, military officers said The armed forces would for the first time test new rules of engagement (ROE) at this month’s annual Han Kuang exercises, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday. The exercises, which are to run from July 22 to 26, will feature unscripted war games, and a decentralized command and control structure, military officers told a news conference in Taipei. ROE cards would be issued to select combat troops to test their ability to function without tight control, they said. The most recent edition of the rules was published last year, they said. One of the cards’ two templates identifies enemy targets that soldiers