For Immediate Release
Washington DC – July 7, 2009
Contact: (202) 547-3686
Taiwanese American Organizations Call For Former President Chen’s Immediate Release
Fifteen Taiwanese American organizations issued a joint statement today, urging Taiwan’s government to cease the detention of former President Chen Shui-bian and calling for the immediate release of Chen.
The statement lists several acts of misconduct by President Chen’s prosecutors, and points out that Chen’s continued detention is politically motivated. It concludes, “This prolonged incarceration, now in excess of two hundred days, is unjustifiable legally and unconscionable on human rights grounds. It is unbecoming of Taiwan as a free and democratic country.”
The signatories of the joint statement are: Dr. Kang-Lu Wang Memorial Foundation, Formosa Foundation, Formosan Association for Human Rights, Formosan Association for Public Affairs, Friends of Taiwan, Inc., North America Taiwanese Women’s Association, North America Taiwanese Professors’ Association, Professor Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation, Taiwanese Hakka Association for Public Affairs in North America, Taiwanese Association of America, Taiwanese Hakka Association of America, World Federation of Taiwanese Associations, World Taiwanese Congress, World United Formosans for Independence-Canada, and World United Formosans for Independence-U.S.A.
Bob Yang, the President of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA), which initiated the joint statement says, “The issue central to the dispute is not whether Chen is guilty. It is whether Chen’s trial adheres to the highest standard of judicial independence and impartiality. Because Taiwan’s reputation as a fledgling democracy is at stake here. This is evident by the appeals from many international observers, including President Ma’s former professor Jerome Cohen, who wrote a series of articles expressing serious concern about the Taiwanese government’s disrespect for judicial independence.”
Yang continues: “The deliberate ‘double standard’ and ‘politically-charged’ application of the law by the prosecutors have exacerbated tension within Taiwan’s society. Taiwan’s judicial reputation depends on how the prosecutors handle Chen’s trial. So far they got an F.”
台美人社團共同呼籲立即釋放陳前總統
15個台美人社團於今日發表聯署聲明，呼籲台灣政府終止羈押並立即釋放陳前總統。
這份聲明列舉了數項檢察官失職舉動，並指出陳前總統繼續遭到羈押來自於政治動機。聲明表示：「陳前總統的羈押目前已達二百多天，不僅不合法理，更違背良心與人權，也不符合台灣為自由與民主國家的形象。」
參與聲明的聯署社團為：王康陸博士紀念基金會，美國福爾摩沙基金會，全美台灣人權協會，台灣人公共事務會，台灣之友會，北美洲台灣婦女會，北美洲台灣人教授協會，陳文成教授紀念基金會，北美台灣客家公共事務協會，全美台灣同鄉會，全美台灣客家會，世界台灣同鄉會聯合會，世界台灣人大會，台灣獨立建國聯盟加拿大本部與台灣獨立建國聯盟美國本部。
發起這項聲明的台灣人公共事務會(FAPA)總會會楊英育表示：「目前爭議的癥結與陳前總統是否有罪無關，我們關注的重點在於台灣政府以及檢調單位是否能夠謹守司法獨立、中立的最高標準。因為這攸關到台灣為一新興民主國家的國際形象。尤其當多位國際學者，包括馬總統的法學院教授孔榮傑等人連日來發表一系列文章，對於台灣政府有違司法獨立表示高度關切。」
楊英育繼續表示：「台灣檢調單位刻意採用雙重標準與政治動機來選擇性辦案，只是加深台灣內部社會紛歧。台灣的司法聲望就靠檢調單位如何審理陳前總統案件。照目前檢調單位的舉動來看，他們只能得到一個”F”不及格的分數。」
