wfn.org | Taiwan Church News: Government Lawsuit Reflects Political Persecution and Judicial Abuse of Power

["Lydia Ma" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>Taiwan Church News

>2963 Edition

>December 8-14, 2008

Government Lawsuit Reflects Political Persecution and Judicial Abuse of  Power

>Reported by Chen Yi-shuan

>Written by Lydia Ma

Several former government officials from the Democratic Progressive  Party as well as Bin Chok Lo (Min-tzu Lu) Presbyterian Church Pastor Lim  Chong-Cheng (Lin Zong-jeng) convened a press conference on December 3rd  at Bin Chok Lo Presbyterian Church to support defendants in the trial  referred to as the “Zhang Mingqin case”. This group gathered  to decry the trampling of human rights and obstruction of democratic  progress in Taiwan. During the press conference, the six defendants in  the case made it clear that they were not pleading guilty and had  nothing to confess. The defendants are being charged by the government  in a case that saw Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait  (ARATS) vice chairman Zhang Mingqin jostled and pushed to the ground  during an official visit to Tainan city in late October 2008.

One 73-year-old senior is being charged by the government when he  accidentally touched the hood of the car transporting the vice chairman.  If he is found guilty, he could be sentenced to six months in jail. This  defendant is the owner of a traditional Chinese bakery store across from  Min-tzu Lu Presbyterian Church. The store is his only source of income.  “I’m already 73 years old. If they want to jail me, so be  it!” he sighed. Another defendant being sued is a partially blind  lady who lost her vision in one eye 15 years ago. She was seen tapping  the top of the car transporting the vice chairman with her cane and  could be sentenced to six months in jail as well. Though their actions  are questionable, their punishment is not in proportion to their crime.  Other defendants in the case include Tainan City Councilor Wang Ting-yu  among others.

During the press conference, Pastor Lim said he felt distressed because  all of these defendants were fellow Taiwanese defending their country.  Perhaps their imprisonment is what is needed to wake the general public,  but he does not want to see them wind up behind bars. “Abuse of  judicial powers and political persecution are like two giant monsters  that surfaced overnight!” he cried. He urged Taiwanese citizens to  wake up and see the Ma administration for what it is and told listeners  that just as the world was celebrating the 60th anniversary of Human  Rights Day, a human rights abuse happened right before their eyes.

When asked why he chose the church as the venue for the press  conference, Pastor Lim replied candidly that churches should be  concerned about human rights issues from a spiritual standpoint and it  is their duty to take care of those who are unfairly oppressed. He also  stressed that every church member he came in contact with agreed to have  the press conference at the church and no one opposed the idea when the  issue was brought up.

For coverage on recent human rights issues in Taiwan, please refer to  the following links:

>http://enews.pctpress.org/2956/2956_6.htm

>http://enews.pctpress.org/2957/2957_4.htm

>http://enews.pctpress.org/2960/2960_4.htm

>http://enews.pctpress.org/2962/2962_3.htm

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2008/12/10/2003430736

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