國際學者的第三封公開信

【Comment】

Former AIT Chairperson Nat Bellocchi et al and Jereme Cohen wrote three open letters to MYJ paid deep concern of the judiciary incidents respectively. It is very rare that international scholars concern same issues repeatedly for it is same rare that a full democratic nation deteriorates so quickly just in few months.
However, MYJ regime does not see the unfair judiciary process is wrong. They do not need to respond it seriously.
MYJ might think he can make the Formosa and the Pescadores under his rule of authoritarianism as CKS did. The background was CKS safeguarded Taiwan and the US needed CKS to do so in 1950s to 1960s. The history does not repeat itself. Letters from the scholars show the signal loud and clear.

美學者致函馬英九擔憂臺司法倒退　■VOA（2009.01.24）

多名國際專家學者最近聯合寫公開信給台灣總統馬英九，對台灣近來司法倒退現象表示關注。這些學者對台灣司法單位對陳水扁貪腐案件的審理過程表示擔憂，並呼籲馬英九就陳雲林訪台期間發生的警民衝突事件進行獨立調查。包括前美國在臺協會理事主席白樂崎在內的專家學者星期三在《台北時報》聯名寫信給台灣總統馬英九，表達對過去幾個月台灣出現司法倒退的跡象感到擔憂。在此之前，這些學者已經兩次致函台灣法務部長王清峰。這些學者在前兩次的信中指出，目前受到貪腐調查的大多是陳水扁執政時期的民進黨高層官員。台灣法務部回應表示，檢察官對於政府官員貪腐行為都有追查義務，不受任何干涉。貪瀆犯罪本來就是以執政官員為追查對象，在野者並未任官，檢查官也無從查起，並沒有選擇性辦案的問題。
*金德芳：對王清峰回應失望*
署名學者之一、邁阿密大學政治系主任金德芳在接受美國之音採訪時表示，他們對王清峰的回應感到失望。金德芳說：「我們對她的回應感到失望。她會說，向媒體洩露正在調查中案件相關資訊的不是我，但是沒人說是她洩露的，洩露相關資訊的是她的辦公室。她並沒有直接回應我們對法務部的批評。另外我們也對一些檢察官最近用短劇嘲諷被他們起訴的人感到失望。而王清峰的態度是，這只是好玩。」
*學者：檢察官不重視專業水準*
這些國際學者在給馬英九的信中表示，他們對有政府單位向媒體洩露正在調查中的案件的相關訊息深感憂慮，並對最近台灣法務部和司法院合辦司法節慶祝活動時，檢察官與法官在公開場合表演前總統陳水扁遭收押的短劇，感到不以為然。這些學者在信中表示，「這些檢察官對司法專業水準的不重視已經到了新低點」。針對這個短劇，台灣法務部長王清峰表示，未來會避免類似的表演活動，希望外界不要太嚴肅看待。連署信署名者之一金德芳說：「在這同時，馬英九坐視不管，理由是總統不能干預司法審理過程。我們當然不是希望他干預司法過程，但是我們認為，確保司法過程的公正性是他做為一個總統的責任。」

*呼籲恢復臺司法系統信譽*
與此同時，這些國際專家學者在信中呼籲馬英九對自由之家和國際特赦組織的建議採取行動，就海協會會長陳雲林訪問期間發生的警民衝突事件進行獨立調查。另外，這些學者再次對台灣司法單位對前台灣總統陳水扁貪腐案件的審理過程感到關注。這些學者表示，任何涉嫌貪污的案件都必須受到調查，但是他們強調司法系統必須政治中立，這是一個民主社會的基本要素。這些專家學者呼籲馬英九採取行動，恢復台灣司法系統的信譽，並確保台灣政府能夠保障台灣人民努力爭取而來的民主、人權和言論自由。參與這封連署信的美國專家學者除了白樂崎和金德芳之外，還包括前美國副總統辦公室亞洲安全顧問葉望輝（Stephen Yates）、前傳統基金會高級研究員譚慎格（John Tkacik）、賓州大學教授林蔚（Arthur Waldron）等知名學者。

*謝國梁：有誤解*
針對近來部分學者表示對台灣司法倒退感到擔憂，台灣國民黨立法委員謝國梁和法務部及警政署官員等人去年12月在馬英九政府安排下，特別來到美國首都華盛頓，和許多關切此事的美方人士進行溝通。謝國梁在訪問華盛頓期間表示， 如果有人認為國民黨或馬英九政府利用司法手段懲罰民進黨，這完全是個誤解。他表示，國民黨並沒有進行政治迫害，但是司法系統的確存在問題，需要進行改革。他表示，許多美方人士對台灣近來的司法案件有所誤解，國民黨未來需要加強和美方人士的溝通。

http://www.voafanti.com/gate/big5/www.voanews.com/chinese/w2009-01-24-voa1.cfm

International Scholars’ open letter to Ma　■Taipei Times（2009.01.24）

Dear President Ma,

We the undersigned, scholars and writers from the US, Canada, Europe and Australia, consider ourselves long-time supporters of a democratic Taiwan. We write to express our concern regarding the erosion of the judicial system in Taiwan during the past few months.

On two previous occasions we have publicly expressed our concerns to Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng （王清峰）, but the minister’s responses are troubling in their persistent failure to acknowledge that there even is a problem, and in their attitude of denial that the judicial process is flawed and partial. We trust that our raising our concerns with you as president will be treated as advice from international supporters of Taiwan’s democracy who care deeply about the country and its future as a free and democratic nation.
First we may mention the fact that your administration has not yet acted upon recommendations — made both by Freedom House and Amnesty International — to conduct an independent inquiry into the events surrounding the visit of Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin（陳雲林）, and in particular the police behavior and infringements on basic freedoms. The establishment of a scrupulously neutral commission is essential if there is to be a fair and objective conclusion on the disturbances that occurred during the Chen Yunlin visit.
Second, we are concerned about the legal proceedings in the case of former president Chen Shu i-bian（陳水扁）. The switch of the case from a three-panel court that released him on his own cognizance on Dec. 13 to a court that subsequently re-incarcerated him on Dec. 25 — both Christmas Day and Constitution Day — seems to have resulted from political pressure from KMT members of the Legislative Yuan. In his commentary in the South China Morning Post of Jan. 8, 2009, professor Jerome Cohen presented details of such political interference in the judicial system, while The Associated Press on Jan. 4 also gave incisive insights in the process that took place.
Third, we are deeply concerned by the widespread pattern of leaks to the media regarding ongoing cases — leaks which because of their content and nature can only have come from the prosecutors’ offices. As was reported by The Associated Press on Jan. 4, 2009, prominent observers in Taiwan such as professor Wang Yeh-lih of National Taiwan University charge that these leaks come from prosecutors who “consistently violated the principle of guarding the details of investigations during the Chen case.”
This pattern of behavior displays a distinct bias in the judicial system and a disregard for fair and impartial processes.
The lack of attention to professional judicial standards reached a new low with the skit by several prosecutors who satirized those whom they are prosecuting. We are disturbed by Minister Wang’s defending this as “just for fun.”

Press agencies quote the minister as saying: “It was just a play to help everybody relax. There’s no reason to take it too seriously.”
In our view the actions by the prosecutors and the comment by Minister Wang display a lack of judicial professionalism and political neutrality.
We reiterate that any cases of alleged corruption must be investigated, and that if the defendants are found guilty in a scrupulously impartial process, they should receive just punishment after trial. We thus emphasize that the political neutrality of the judicial system is a fundamental element in a democracy. The examples mentioned above indicate that the investigative process has been conducted and sensationalized to the extent that both the right of the accused to a fair trial, and the presumption of innocence have been seriously jeopardized. Justice through the rule of law is essential to Taiwan’s efforts to consolidate democracy and protect fundamental human rights.
In addition to the harm done to the personas of those accused, the international image of Taiwan has suffered. A president of a country bears political responsibility for the conduct of his subordinates’ actions, and we therefore urge immediate and decisive action to correct the severe flaws in the process that are staining the national honor, perhaps irreparably.
Taiwan’s judicial system must be not only above suspicion but even above the appearance of suspicion of partiality and political bias. We appeal to you, Mr. President, to restore the credibility of the judicial system in Taiwan and ensure that your government and its judiciary and parliamentary institutions safeguard the full democracy, human rights and freedom of expression, for which the Taiwanese people have worked so hard during the past two decades.

Respectfully yours,

Nat Bellocchi
former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan

Coen Blaauw
Formosan Association for Public Affairs, Washington DC

Stéphane Corcuff
Associate Professor of Political Science , China and Taiwan Studies, University of Lyon , France

Gordon G. Chang
author, “The Coming Collapse of China”

David Curtis Wright
Associate Professor of History, University of Calgary

June Teufel Dreyer
Professor of Political Science, University of Miami , Florida

Edward Friedman
Professor of Political Science and East Asian Studies, University of Wisconsin , Madison

Mark Harrison
Senior Lecturer, Head of the Chinese School of Asian Languages and Studies, University of Tasmania , Australia

Bruce Jacobs
Professor of Asian Languages and Studies, Monash University , Melbourne , Australia

Richard C. Kagan
Professor Emeritus of History, Hamline University , St Paul Minnesota . Author, “ Taiwan ’s Statesman, Lee Teng-hui and Democracy in Asia” and other works on Taiwan

Jerome F. Keating
Associate Professor, National Taipei University (Ret.). Author, “Island in the Stream, a quick case study of Taiwan ’s complex history” and other works on Taiwan ’s history

Hon. David Kilgour
former Member Parliament and Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific , Canada

Victor H. Mair
Professor of Chinese Language and Literature, University of Pennsylvania

Donald Rodgers
Associate Professor of Political Science, Austin College , Texas

Terence Russell
Professor of Chinese Language and Literature, University of Manitoba , Canada

Christian Schafferer
Associate Professor, Department of International Trade, Overseas Chinese Institute of Technology, Chair Austrian Association of East Asian Studies, Editor “Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia ”

Michael Stainton
York Center for Asia Research, Toronto , Canada

Peter Tague
Professor of Law, Georgetown University , Washington DC

John J. Tkacik Jr
former Senior Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation, Washington DC

Arthur Waldron
Lauder Professor of International Relations, University of Pennsylvania

Vincent Wei-cheng Wang
Professor of Political Science, University of Richmond , Virginia

Gerrit van der Wees
Editor Taiwan Communique, Washington DC

Stephen Yates
President of DC Asia Advisory and former deputy assistant to the vice president for National Security Affairs

Terri Giles
Executive Director, Formosa Foundation, Los Angeles

Daniel Lynch
Associate Professor, School of International Relations , University of Southern California

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2009/01/21/2003434326