[3098]PCT says allegations against Lee shed light on systemic flaws, not character flaws

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

3098 Edition
July 11-17, 2011

General Assembly News

PCT says allegations against Lee shed light on systemic flaws, not character 
flaws

Reported by Lin Yi-ying

Written by Lydia Ma

In recent weeks, Taiwan’s Supreme Prosecutors Office Special Investigation 
Panel (SIP) accused former President Lee Teng-hui of graft and money 
laundering. In response to these accusations, President Ma Ying-jeou quickly 
called a press conference to absolve himself from all responsibility and 
distance himself from Lee.

The President’s response triggered a joint statement issued by more than 20 
civil society organizations in Taiwan in which his previous words and promises 
to the nation were called into question. Signatories of the statement wanted to 
know why, despite Ma’s promises of respecting judicial autonomy, politicians 
from the DPP camp and Ma’s political foes have been the only ones prosecuted on 
graft changes  during the past 3 years of his presidency.

A press conference was organized by these organizations at National Taiwan 
University on July 4, 2011. PCT Church and Society Committee Secretary Huang 
Che-yen was among those present at the press conference, along with Wang 
Hsian-chi, a member of Yikuang Presbyterian Church and the founder of Taiwan 
Republic Campaign.

Wang described the KMT as the richest mafia on earth and the ROC as the largest 
criminal organization in the world. He underscored that KMT’s treasury was 
filled with illegally obtained cash prizes. In contrast, the people of Taiwan 
live like foreigners abused by a government in exile as the KMT can prosecute 
anyone it wishes, such as former presidents Chen Shui-bian and Lee Teng-hui.

“The reason I’m speaking out for Lee today isn’t because he is some great hero. 
Likewise, the reason I support Chen Shui-bian isn’t because I have some special 
connection with him. I just want to remind everyone that ROC is a government in 
exile and anyone who threatens its rule will be prosecuted by the judiciary. 
James Soong, Chen Shui-bian, and now Lee Teng-hui are prime examples,” said 
Tsai Ting-kuei, convener of Alliance of Referendum for Taiwan, adding that the 
only way ensure the judiciary isn’t used as a weapon against political foes is 
to vote the KMT out of office.

Pointing to the irony of prosecuting two former presidents for corruption on 
ROC’s 100th anniversary, Huang Che-yen said these weren’t random or unrelated 
occurrences. Rather, they indicate there’s a problem within the governmental 
system. “If you want to accuse these two on charges of corruption, you need to 
go all the way back and investigate everyone who’s ever been President of the 
ROC,” he said.

Whether it’s the controversy surrounding the Special State Affairs Fund or the 
National Security Bureau Fund, Huang underscored that the root of the problem 
is systemic. If the SIP were sincere in getting to the bottom of it all, it’d 
also include in its investigations the Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo 
presidencies. “If that were the case, it’d mean the SIP is serious. In which 
case, I’d applaud its efforts and support its cause!” Huang said. 

But recent allegations are obvious forms of political persecution and smear 
campaign, prompting the PCT to join other civil society groups in issuing this 
statement. 

Speaking on behalf of the PCT, Huang counseled the Ma administration to focus 
on overhauling regulations rather than resorting to such tactics. Otherwise, 
President Ma himself wouldn’t be spared from being examined and tried by the 
whole nation in due time.

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