Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday called for a swift and overall policy revamp to deal with what she called a regression in Taiwan’s human rights.
“Taiwan’s human rights situation has significantly regressed in recent months, partly because of a flawed system and partly because of the mindset of the nation’s rulers and law enforcement authorities,” Tsai said, adding that “the two facets are of great significance to a progressive society.”
Tsai made the comments prior to a sports meet sponsored by a Taipei City association of builders and contractors.
PHOTO: WANG SHU-HUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
‘CRITICAL MESSAGE’
The US-based non-governmental organization Freedom House urged the Taiwanese government on Thursday to form an independent panel to investigate violent clashes early this month between police and protesters who were demonstrating over a visit by Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin (陳雲林). Freedom House Executive Director Jennifer Windsor said that such an investigation would “send a critical message that the new government of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is interested in upholding the democratic values of transparency and accountability.”
Later yesterday, Tsai took part in two rallies held to address the human rights of those facing prosecution, one in Taipei and another in Tainan.
The event in Taipei, organized by the office of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and several pro-independence groups, was held at Yuanshan Park in Taipei yesterday evening.
LED IN PRAYER
It began with a prayer led by Reverend Lo Rong-kuang (羅榮光), a minister with the Taiwan Presbyterian Church.
Tsai didn’t give a speech. She left shortly after the prayer and headed to the other event in Tainan, held by the DPP’s Tainan branch.
Thousands of people participated in the gathering in Taipei, calling for better protection of sovereignty, democracy, human rights and justice.
DPP heavyweights including former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and former DPP chairmen Yu Shyi-kun and Su Cheng-chang (蘇貞昌) also attended the rally.
Chen was detained on Nov. 12 on suspicion of money laundering, taking bribes, forgery and embezzlement during his two terms in office from 2000 until earlier this year. He has denied the allegations and immediately began a hunger strike when he was detained to protest what he called “political persecution.”
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
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