Dophiのブログ

2008.11.5

    Chen Yunlin, Chief member of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, also envoy of People’s Republic of China, landed in Taiwan on the 3rd of November 2008. He signed agreements on passenger-cargo flight, maritime shipping, mail service and food safety related issues with Chiang Pin-kung, Chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation. These agreements made Taiwan and China enter the ‘age of three direct links’ era. During his visit, Chen will also meet Ma Ying-Jeou, President of Taiwan.

    For a long period of time, China has been repressing opportunities for Taiwan to participate in international activities. China neither recognizes Taiwan as a sovereign nation, nor does it gives up military invasion into Taiwan. A considerable number of Taiwanese citizens, including Taiwan’s biggest opposition party, Democratic Progressive Party, are worried that Kuomintang government will not be able to defend for Taiwan’s sovereignty during this negotiation. They also question the transparency of the meeting. Protestors hope to march along with Chen on his Taipei route, and expressing remarks such as “One Taiwan, One China”. Communities that are against China’s forceful repression toward Tibet also join in the protests, and are holding “Free Tibet” slogans.

    As means of welcoming ChenYunlin’s visit and potentially pacifying the expected oppositions, the Kuomingtang government deploys more than 7,000 policemen and special agents to cordon off all venues where Chen will appear. This is to prevent the public from raising protests and hope to diminish their voices. However, measures employed by the police to guard Chen have gone beyond the normal boundary of Taiwanese law and Constitution. This is a serious violation of our freedom of movement, expressions and civil rights as citizens. The examples are given below:

1. The policemen have confiscated and damaged personal belongings such as Taiwan’s national flags and balloons carried by protesters.

2. During the evening of November the 2nd, four Taichung City Councilors, Chen Shu-hua (陳淑華), Chiu Su-chen (邱素貞), Chi Li-yu (紀麗玉) and Lai Chia-wei (賴佳微), checked in at the Grand Hotel, where Chen Yulin stayed . On the next day, protest banners were displayed from the balcony of their room, and within one minute, special agents broke into the balcony and entered their room, without prior consent, removed the banners and restrained their actions.

3. Three bloggers carrying national flags of Taiwan and those of Tibetan Government in Exile were forcefully taken away by the police when they were walking southbound along Chung Shan North Rd and passing by the Taiwan Cement Building, where Chen Yunlin visited Cecilia KooYen, a widow of the former chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation. The arrest resulted in dislocating one of the blogger’s finger. The police refused to let her receive medical treatment until she provided her personal information.

4. Chen Yu-ching (陳育青), a photographer, who was visiting her friends near the Grand Hotel, was arrested and sent to the police station for an interrogation regarding shooting a video of the banned area with her hand-held camera.

5. Hung Chien-yi (洪建益), a Taipei councilman, had been dragged away on the ground by several police officers at the front gate of the Ambassador Hotel, where ChenYunlin’s dinner reception was due to be held in the afternoon. Hung did not voice out any derogatory slogans or carry any dangerous items but simply wore a T-shirt with the words “No Conspiracy with China” on it.

6. On November the 4th, while Chen Yunlin was at a dinner reception hosted by KMT leaders at the Ambassador Hotel, a nearby record store was playing some Taiwanese songs out loud. The police, led by Beitou Police District Chief Lee Han Ching, broke into the record store, demanded the storeowner to stop playing the music, and shut the door. His action was reasoned by presuming that the songs would stir up the feelings of the protesters on the scene.

7. On November the 3rd, the Association of Taiwan Journalist (ATJ) issued their official claim, stating that Cheng Chieh-wen (鄭傑文), a photojournalist from the Central News Agency, was dragged by the security police for 10 meters while filming at the Grand Hotel, and that an inappropriate press coverage area plan had caused quarrels between the press and the officials. ATJ said that media freedom was under severe threat in Taiwan. The Taiwanese government has imposed such strict controls over press coverage, that several reporters from Hong Kong fail to obtain press passes and therefore limited their rights for news coverage.

    Protests are continuing, so are actions that invade freedom of speech, movement, and other forms of human rights. The actions employed by the KMT government not only violate Taiwan’s criminal and civil laws, but also contradict the Constitution which include protecting the rights of its citizens. We will continue taking notes of these events while expressing our severe objections to the police force. In addition, we need the international media to see squarely the deteriorating democracy during envoy Chen’s visit in Taiwan.

Origin Link : http://www.ocot.tw/blog/archives/408

More photos or news in Chinese : http://www.wretch.cc/blog/billypan101/14367606