For Immediate Release
Washington DC – April 20, 2012
Contact: (202) 547-3686
Member Of Congress Urges Human Rights Commission To Investigate Continued Incarceration Of Former President Chen Shui-bian
Today Congressman Dan Lungren (R-CA) released a letter addressed to Reps. Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Jim McGovern (D-MA), co-chairs of the United States Congress Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, strongly urging them to investigate the continued incarceration of Taiwan’s former president Chen Shui-bian.
Lungren is a member of the Lantos Commission, which is a bipartisan congressional caucus of 79 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, with a mission to “promote, defend and advocate internationally recognized human rights norms in a nonpartisan manner, both within and outside of Congress, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human rights instruments.”
In the letter to the Commission co-chairs, Lungren called attention to “disturbing reports that have emerged in recent weeks about the deterioration in the health and physical condition of the former President of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian.”
Lungren referenced reports by Taiwanese media that Chen had been diagnosed with a prostate tumor, acute coronary syndrome, and potentially fatal reduced blood flow to the heart, during a comprehensive medical exam in March. The former president’s doctors attribute his poor health to deprivation of sunlight and confinement to a small cramped cell inside Taoyuan County prison, where he is permitted only 30 minutes of exercise per day, contrary to established international human rights norms.
The letter cites Section 2(c) of the Taiwan Relations Act, which states, “The preservation and enhancement of the human rights of all the people on Taiwan are hereby reaffirmed as objectives of the United States,” as the statutory basis for the U.S. Congress to investigate Chen’s case, and requests that the Commission “strongly urge the government of Taiwan to grant former president Chen medical parole in order to receive adequate medical treatment.”
FAPA and the Taiwanese American community welcomed Lungren’s initiative. Dr. Joseph Lin, a member of FAPA’s Sacramento chapter, hailed the letter, saying “After the many years of hard work and sacrifice that Taiwanese Americans and the people of Taiwan have devoted to turning Taiwan into a genuine democracy, it is deplorable to witness the blatant violation of established international human rights norms by the current government in Taiwan in its treatment of its predecessor.”
FAPA President Mark Kao, PhD, also applauds Rep. Lungren’s letter, saying: “The people and the government of Taiwan look to the United States as the standard bearer for democracy and human rights around the world, and it is encouraging to see that these recent alarming developments in president Chen’s situation have not gone unnoticed.”
Dr. Kao concludes: “We commend Congressman Lungren for his leadership in shedding light on the rapidly declining condition of the former president of Taiwan, and hope that the Commission will take immediate steps to investigate the case.”
美國眾議院人權委員會呼籲調查陳水扁案
加州共和黨朗格倫眾議員（Dan Lungren, R-CA）於2012年4月18日（三）致函美國眾議院「湯姆‧蘭托斯人權委員會」共同主席—維吉尼亞州共和黨沃爾夫議員（Frank Wolf）與麻薩諸塞州民主黨麥高文議員（Jim McGovern）—強烈呼籲調查台灣前總統陳水扁的監禁案。
湯姆‧蘭托斯人權委員會係由兩黨共七十九名眾議員聯合組成之國會連線，朗格倫議員為該會成員之一。該委員會功能為「不分黨派，共同於國會內外提倡、捍衛並擁護世界人權宣言及其他相關人權文件所提出，受國際公認的人權準則。」
朗格倫於信函中籲請共同主席再次關注「過去幾週，關於台灣前總統陳水扁先生逐漸惡化的健康情形，令人擔憂的發展」。
信函中並引述「台灣關係法」2(c)：「茲於此重新確立：台灣全體人民的人權之維護及加強為美國之政策目標」以作為眾議院調查扁案的法理依據，並要求委員會須「強力敦促台灣政府允准陳前總統保外就醫，以獲得適當醫療照護。」
台灣人公共事務會與台美社團對於朗格倫所採取的行動表示歡迎。沙加緬度分會的林文約博士為該信喝采，他談到：「台美人為要將台灣轉變為真正的民主國家而付出多年的努力與犧牲，看到現今台灣政府對於前任總統的待遇，如此公然的違反國際人權準則，實在令人嘆息。」
台灣人公共事務會會長高龍榮博士亦對該信函表示歡迎，他指出：「台灣的人民及政府皆視美國為全球民主與人權的標準，對於近來陳前總統令人憂心的情況發展並未受到漠視，我們深受激勵。」
高博士最後說道：「我們讚揚朗格倫議員於揭露陳前總統急速惡化的健康情形中所扮演的先鋒角色，並冀望委員會會立即採取行動調查此案。」
Letter to Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
The Honorable Frank R. Wolf, Co-Chairman
The Honorable James P. McGovern, Co-Chairman
Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
2170 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515Dear Chairman Wolf and Chairman McGovern:
As a member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and an advocate of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law around the world, I write to bring to your attention some disturbing reports that have emerged in recent weeks about the deterioration in the health and physical condition of the former president of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian, in detention.
Chen is currently serving a 19-year sentence on corruption charges that are widely believed by international observers and legal scholars to be politically motivated. He has been incarcerated for over 1,200 days thus far. On March 6, he was taken to a hospital and diagnosed with a prostate tumor, acute coronary syndrome and significantly reduced blood flow to the heart, the last of which is potentially fatal. During a comprehensive medical exam, it was also discovered that for the last 14 months, Chen had been ingesting an anti-anxiety medication with potential side effects such as depression and memory loss. The medicine was given to him without his knowledge or consent. He was returned to prison a few days after undergoing an urgent cardiac catheterization procedure in Taoyuan General Hospital.
Chen’s doctors attribute his poor health to long-term deprivation of sunlight, lack of exercise and an inactive lifestyle inside a Taoyuan County prison, where he is confined with a cellmate to a damp, undersized cell measuring approximately 60 square feet virtually 24 hours a day. Unlike other inmates who are able to work eight hours a day in prison factories, the former president is only permitted 30 minutes of outdoor exercise each day and no interaction with other prisoners. These conditions are contrary to principles established by Article 21 (1) of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, which establishes that “every prisoner who is not employed in outdoor work shall have at least one hour of suitable exercise in the open air daily if the weather permits.”
Section 2(c) of the Taiwan Relations Act states: “”The preservation and enhancement of the human rights of all the people on Taiwan are hereby reaffirmed as objectives of the United States.”” I therefore respectfully request that you strongly urge the government of Taiwan to grant former president Chen medical parole in order to receive adequate medical care, and that you investigate the facts surrounding Chen’s treatment to ensure that it has been in conformance at all times with internationally recognized standards of human rights.
Sincerely,
Daniel F. Lungren
Member of Congress
