US Republican Representative Steve Chabot met with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday to discuss former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) condition.
Chabot and fellow US Representative Eni Faleomavaega visited Chen, who is serving a 20-year jail sentence for corruption, in Taichung Prison’s Pei Teh Hospital on Thursday.
Chabot said that during the visit Chen’s hands visibly shook and he stuttered when he spoke, adding that he and Faleomavaega were very worried about his situation.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Chen has been diagnosed with depression, sleep apnea, non-typical Parkinson’s disease, a speech disorder and mild cerebral atrophy.
Faleomavaega added that while he is not a doctor, it was evident to him that Chen was not in good physical condition.
Sources said that Chabot said to Su yesterday during their meeting that Chen’s contribution to the advances of Taiwanese democracy should not be forgotten.
Chabot said that as Chen’s friend, he was worried and said that Chen’s human rights should be respected.
Chabot said that because he has no right to interfere in Taiwan’s judicial procedures, he was merely offering his personal viewpoint.
In response to media queries after a meeting with Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday afternoon, Chabot said that US representatives cannot tell Taiwan what to do, but “we think there is a humanitarian way to resolve the situation, and we would like to see that happen.”
“Ultimately, it’s up to the leadership in Taiwan to make that decision,” he added.
Separately yesterday, French political economist Guy Sorman, said in a speech in Taipei, hosted by former DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) Thinking Taiwan Foundation, that he was sad to see that as a democratic country, Taiwan has imprisoned a former president.
Sorman said that he was not familiar with the case and has no intention of interfering in Taiwanese politics, but added that he hopes that the nation’s democratic achievements could serve as a model for China.
Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China when traveling in countries with close ties to Beijing, Taiwan Association of University Professors deputy chairman Chen Li-fu (陳俐甫) said on Friday. Chen’s comments came after China on Friday last week announced new judicial guidelines targeting Taiwanese independence advocates. Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Djibouti are among the countries where Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China, he said. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday elevated the travel alert for China, Hong Kong and Macau to “orange” after Beijing announced its guidelines to “severely punish Taiwanese independence diehards for splitting the country and inciting secession.” Extradition treaties
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The entire Alishan Forest Railway line is to reopen for the first time in 15 years on Saturday, with tickets to go on sale at 2pm today. The historic railway from Chiayi to Alishan (阿里山) is finally set to reopen after the completion of the final No. 42 tunnel, Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office Deputy Director-General Chou Heng-kai (周恆凱) said. It is to run on a new timetable, with four trains daily, he said. The 9am train is to depart from Chiayi Railway Station bound for Shizilu Station (十字路), while the 10am train departing from Chiayi is to go all the
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