Newslets (09.02.10, Tue)

I am trying to start a new style of info sharing that I call "newslets". Essentially a style of news briefing, its contents will be mainly the current events found in news media or forums written in Chinese. That is, the materials less likely reached by English readers. It also gives me a chance to share as many topics as I want in as less time as possible. Each 'newslet' will have short intro no more than one or two paragraphs. Link(s) of the source will be provided but English description may or may not be available.

Ma government open door for China to control Taiwan's internet (09.2.10)-- Executive Yuan announced a draft amendment to the Act for Promoting Private Participation in Public Construction (促進民間參與公共建設法部份條文修正草案), aiming at: (1) internet and media is included in this act, and (2) allow China to invest. It looks like that Ma Ying-jeou is inviting China to control Taiwan's internet, at a time when China just established its internet control with its Golden Shield project.(促參引陸資 立委批後果不堪設想)

Historical drop in import and export (09.2.10)-- Ministry of Finance reported that Taiwan suffered drops in export and import on January by historical high of 44.1% and 56.5%, respectively, comparing to those of last year. The export to China and Hong Kong, the baskets Ma Ying-jeou has thrown all eggs of Taiwan in, also dropped by a historical 58.6%. (上月出口衰退44％ 史上最大 )

Premier Liu's brother under investigation (09.2.10)-- for alleged violation of Public Officials' Conflicts of Interests Prevention Act ( 劉兆凱利益迴避案 監院函送法部 ).

IDFs fly without blackboxes for 17 years (09.2.9)-- One of Taiwan-made fighters (IDF) crashed in October last year (2008). The investigation led to a discovery that the record on the blackbox, supposedly 12 min 45 sec long, is completely blank. Further investigation revealed an astonishing fact: the blackboxes of ALL IDFs have never been functioning in the past 17 years, the whole life that IDF has been on service. It seems that the airforce has been lazy on routine check of their weapons.

Even more unbelievable is that the army already knew the blackbox in another IDF, crashed in April, 2004, was blank, but a full exam on all blackboxes of IDF has never come to their minds. Should we be worried? (瞎飛了17年！ IDF黑盒子紀錄不全)

Ma govt giving up chance of diplomatic link with Malawi

Malawi President regrets the link with china

The Liberty Times reports (馬拉威 後悔與台灣斷交) that Malawi, the African country that switched her diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in December, 2007 after 42 years of Taiwan-Malawi relationship, realizes that they have made a big mistake.

Bingu wa Mutharika, President of Malawi, expressed regrets for the diplomatic switch that he made, saying that the help from China is far less than that Taiwan provided before.

與中國建交才年餘的馬拉威，已對中國抱怨不已，主要是中方當初為了挖台灣的邦交國，不惜開出六十億美元的天價利誘馬方，但「牛皮吹得很大」，迄今未讓馬方感受履行承諾的誠意，甚至當初台灣因斷交而中斷對馬拉威援助，無法完成的部分工程，中國連接手完成的誠意都沒有，更別說「加碼」。

After only a little more than a year of formal diplomatic link with China, complaints are built up in Malawi. The 60,000 million (US dollars) aids that China promised at the time of diplomatic negotiation is just a lip service, and there is no sign that China would fulfill their promise in the future. China has no intention to finish the half-done projects that Taiwan had helped started, not to mention to increase the project aids.

據轉述，莫泰加不滿中方未確實履行建交承諾，與當初建交時的期待，有很大落差，因此後悔與台灣斷交，自責「無法向馬拉威人民交代」。

Mutharika is not happy with China's empty promises. It is no where near the expectation at the time of establishing the diplomatic link. He is regretful for cutting the diplomatic link with Taiwan, and blames himself for failing the Malawians.

His decision of switching from Taiwan to China shows not only a betrayal of 42-year good relationship, but also the timing -- about 3 months before Taiwan's presidential election -- has made Malawi a political tool of China.

Ironically, President Mutharika used to admire Taiwan so much that in 2005 he broke away from his party United Diplomatic Front, established a party of his own and named it DPP -- after the major Taiwanese political party, Democratic Progressive Party.

Ma government gives up a potential diplomatic link

Taiwan's oversea diplomatic source quickly reported this info back to Ma's government. Supposedly a once-in-a-life-time chance to build up a formal relationship without the need of much effort, Ma government simply trashes it. Government officials make it clear that they will reject the request of rebuilding a diplomatic link with Malawi, if Malawi does make such an attempt. Such a "cut all international relationship" diplomatic strategy is, according to the official, based on Ma Ying-jeou's beautifully named foreign policy "diplomatic truce", a policy of "giving up Taiwan sovereignty on all diplomatic fronts to please China" in reality.

Ma Ying-jeou's surrendering attitude toward China is obviously taken by China as a leverage that makes it much more difficult for Malawi - and any other country for that matter - to maintain a real beneficial relationship with China:

中方也擺高姿態，「若馬拉威不滿意，要斷交就斷交，現在台灣也不會接受馬拉威」。

China is maintaining a high attitude, "If Malawi is not satisfied (with the way China treats them), then go ahead to break the diplomatic link. Even they do so, Taiwan will not take them."

The fact is that Ma Ying-jeou's giving up on all diplomatic fronts has not only sacrificed Taiwan's sovereignty, but also hurts the national benefits of those countries Taiwan used to befriend with.

As a result, China is the only winner in this game. Is that what Ma Ying-jeou intended ?

Some links in the past:

• Some insightful articles by Michael Turton.
• 1/15/08 Taipei Times: Malawi, Taiwan end 42-year relations
• 1/16/08 Taipei Times: Minister berates Malawi for `cheating and lying'

Ma Ying-jeou Gov's Support on Prosecutors' Skit Reveals Discrimination Issue

A follow-up regarding the mocking skit put up by Taipei District Prosecutors Office (TDPO 台北地檢署).

The unbelievable misconduct - mocking a defendant of their ongoing investigation in a skit - arranged by the Chief Prosecutor of TDPO (see previous post for description and video; Taipei Times' here), has angered many and quickly makes its own way to the attention of international media.

Wang Ching-feng (王清峰), Minister of Justice. Source: Ministry of Justice, Taiwan

In response to critics, Ma Ying-jeou's Minister of Justice Just-Us (term borrowing from Tim Maddog) Wang Ching-feng (王清峰), who was among the audience to enjoy and applaud the prosecutors' mocking skit, admitted that the show is indeed mocking Chen (reported by Max Hirsch of Japan's Kyodo News, mentioned in Michael's blog), but said, "it was just a play to help everybody relax" and "the skit should not be taken seriously, because it reflected widespread sentiment on this island of 23 million people." (see AP's report, and a must-read editorial titled "Taiwan needs no trials by skit" on Taiwan News)

So, Wang, who is chosen by Ma to be the judicial administrator of Ma's government, thinks that it's nothing wrong to humiliate a defendant of an ongoing investigation in public, by those prosecutors from the same office investigating him ?

The skit itself is shocking by two key issues: one, it's the prosecutors mocking the defendant currently under their investigations, and two, entire fleet of top law professionals in Taiwan sit there watching and laughing. Not a single one came out to condemn it.

It's unbelievable all by itself. But Wang's response sent an even more chilling wave than the event itself.

In just several months after Ma's inauguration on May, 20th, 2008, the quick deterioration of human right in Taiwan has invited grave concerns from scholars overseas and international NGO human right watch groups. One of the concerns is the questionable procedures on prosecutions focusing solely on DPP members.

Being extremely protective on his image, Ma Ying-jeou has launched a lot of manpower trying to explain away those international accusations by denying.

Ma's government said that they didn't do it; the entire world is all wrong about them.

Denial of facts certainly didn't clear Ma and his administration from the crime of suppressing human right. But, at least, they knew that it's wrong, and they knew that if they admit it, they would be on the wrong side.

The response from Wang to the critics about the skit throw a totally different ball to the game.

This time, she didn't deny the fact and their intention to make fun out of a current defendant, an act that is clearly violating the basic principle of law practicing. But she insists that it's justifiable to do so.

From "knowing right or wrong but denying" to "don't even know what's right or wrong," on something that doesn't need a law degree to know, and demonstrated by Ma Ying-jeou's justice administrator who should have known better than anyone else --- there's gotta be something far more serious than it looks in this administration.

Do Wang and Taipei prosecutors seriously think that it's ok for prosecutors to humiliate in public ANY defendant of their ongoing investigations ?

If yes, then they all should be banned from practicing the law.

If the answer is no --- that they don't think it's acceptable as a general rule, except when it is applied to Chen. What possibly indication could that be? That they believe from deep down of their minds that Chen Shui-bian is a sub-humanbeing, therefore the law they learned in school and practiced professionally the whole life doesn't need to apply to Chen ?

How is Ma Ying-jeou gonna "explain away" this vivid display of discrimination under his administration?

And how is Ma Ying-jeou able to convince people that those cases against other DPP members are not tainted by this mindset of discrimination?

Note: the extent of mis-appointments by Ma Ying-jeou on several incompetent cabinet heads show poor judgment of Ma Ying-jeou. Wang Ching-feng is just one of those cases.

Taipei District Prosecutors Humiliate the Accused of Their Ongoing Investigations

There are many unbelievable things in Taiwan's judiciary system, especially in Taipei. For example, at a time they had no evidence against Chen Shui-bian, prosecutors from Taipei Prosecutor Office held a press conference and swore, in front of the public, that they will all resign if they can't place charges on Chen before a specified time.

I thought that is enough to show how low the quality of Taipei's prosecutors can get. I was wrong.

In a celebration of the 63rd Law Day (司法節), a day (Jan. 11th) established in 1943 to mark the judicial independence of ROC (from interventions of other countries), Taipei District Prosecutor Office arranged a show on the stage to humiliate the accused, the former President Chen Shui-bian, who is still under THEIR OWN ongoing investigations. Check out how they played out the humiliation:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afpm1EIgEfQ

Presecutor Chang An-chen (張安箴) played the role of a criminal on the stage. When she was cuffed, she raised her hands and shouted,

"Judicial Persecution!"
"The court police beat up people!"
"I want to have wounds examed!"

These acts mimic Chen Shui-bian when Chen was detained last year.

The entire room -- full of judges, attorneys, prosecutors and lawyers, probably several hundreds of them -- brought into laughters.

Prosecutor Deng Chiao-ling (鄧巧羚) also participated in this insulting play. She is the prosecutor who asked heavy punishment of 10-year jail time for former Investigative Bureau chief Yeh Sheng-mao (葉盛茂).



The director behind this act of mocking scheme is Ching Chi-jen (慶啟人), the Chief Prosecutor of Taipei District Prosecutors Office. She was the prosecutor who went to Swiss and Singaporean authorities for help in Chen Shui-bian's accused overseas money laundering case (see here and here) . She is said to be one of those who leaks private information of this on-going case.

When asked about the mocking show, she replied,

「舞台劇的演出，多少詮釋出檢察官的俠骨柔情。」
"This show more or less expresses the warm side of those prosecutors and their strong stand on justice"

Uhhh ??? Can anyone elaborate what she's talking about ?

It's a mystery how these prosecutors can turn the exercise of the law into an entertainment, in the expense of humiliation of the current accused. Are these people mentally ill ? Psychologically handicapped ? Or simply haven't reached the age of maturity yet ?

With the prosecutors having the mindset like that, how can we rely on their hands to have the justice served ?



More (most in Chinese):

• 司法節慶祝大會 檢察官扮陳水扁被押娛樂眾檢座，全場笑呵呵！(lots of photos)
  Law Day Celebration, Prosecutors Play Chen to entertain, all laugh
  
• 學阿扁戲碼　女檢上銬喊「司法迫害」
  Mocking Ah-bian, female prosecutor cuffed and screamed "judicial persecution!"
  
• 皇后演 A 片
  Queen Play Porn Star
  
• 司法節慶祝大會 檢察官模仿阿扁
  Law Day Celebration, Prosecutors Mock Ah-bian
  
• 誰殺了司法！
  Who Murdered the Judiciary!
  
• 慶祝司法節 施茂林期勉貫徹司法民主
  
• Judicial group calls for reforms
  

Ma Ying-jeou Said Government Can't Blame Bad Economics to Global Environment ?

Liberty Times reported in an article titled "Ma Ying-jeou said: there's no hope if we don't replace the president" (桃園〉馬英九：總統不換 經濟無望):

In a campaign movement, Ma Ying-jeou talked to his supporters that if we don't replace the president, there will be no hope for economics and peace, because in order to save Taiwan we need to replace the president.

Ma also said that when Chen Shui-bian was elected, Chen's approval rate was as high as 80%. Ma said that it's hard to believe that Chen's approval rate went down from 80% to below 50% in 4 years. Ma Ying-jeou stressed that it's natural to step down when you can't do a good job.

Ma also criticized that the government shouldn't blame the bad economics to the bad global environment. He said, the role of a president is to bring people through the crisis. He asked, if a president blames the crisis to the big international environment, then what do we need a president for ?

Did Ma Ying-jeou suddenly found his lost conscience and learned to admit his incompetence ?

Urrh-huh .... remind you, this was back in 2004, aiming at Chen Shui-bian's government.

It's now Ma Ying-jeou's government. Of cause Ma Ying-jeou is different from Chen Shui-bian --- Ma managed to have his own approval rate dropped from 75% to 23% in 6 months.

So I guess now it's ok for the government to blame the bad economics to the global environment ...

台北地檢署為什麼不法辦重罪犯李慶安？

當檢調單位對一個犯行明確、罪證確鑿的重刑犯睜一隻眼閉一隻眼，甚至在這個重刑犯有幾近百分之百潛逃海外的可能性，但卻沒有限制出境甚至連羈押都沒有的時候，人民自然會推想檢調單位有可能是在包庇這個重刑犯。

泛藍立委李慶安14年前入籍美國，之後在台灣違法連續參選並擔任市議員及立委。國籍法規定雙重國籍不能擔任公職，（2007年以前的）選罷法規定雙重國籍者不得參選，李慶安違法14年罪證已經很明確。

但是，台北地檢署為什麼好像突然間耳聾眼瞎，沒有看到這個重刑犯？

李慶安14年前擁有美國籍，並沒有放棄，現在被查出來她有向美國繳稅，涉嫌詐領市議員及立委的公費待遇，同樣觸犯5年以上重罪，可是地檢署將近1年來，只有問她一次，並未羈押她。
http://iservice.libertytimes.com.tw/liveNews/news.php?no=165201&type=%E7%A4%BE%E6%9C%83

台灣的檢察官常常將「他們認定的嫌疑犯」（也就是說，還沒有任何證據）先關起來，理由是：「防止嫌疑犯在外面串供、湮滅證據或逃亡出國」。

去年（2008年）剛結案的謝清志高鐵案，前一陣子的蘇志芬、陳明文，以及陳水扁洗錢案，都是以這種「先抓起來再找證據」的模式。而這個模式是在「沒有明確證據」的情況下執行。

那李慶安這個重刑犯，已經罪證確鑿了，又是美國公民隨時可以落跑，為什麼檢察官們突然忘記「防止嫌疑犯在外面串供或湮滅證據或逃亡出國」的執法程序？

台北地檢署的藉口是「在等外交部回函」：

台北地檢署表示，還沒收到外交部有關李慶安案的回函公文，因此尚未二度約談李慶安，也未對她做出限制出境等處分，將待資料函覆後，再傳訊李慶安。

北檢表示，李慶安雙重國籍案原由檢察官章京文調查，去年四月首度傳喚她，承辦檢察官後於同年八月升任主任檢察官並調職，改由肅貪專組檢察官黃惠玲接手偵辦，檢方函文外交部，請外交部協助提供有關李慶安是否為美籍等相關資料，但檢方迄未收到外交部的資料，已再度發文催促。
http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2009/new/jan/1/today-p5.htm

這種藉口何等荒謬！外交部又不是北檢的上司，而北檢的義務是主動蒐證起訴，不是在那裡等被動待別的單位給他們餵資料。

況且美國已經證實「李慶安現在還有美國籍」的調查早已經結案，不會再有新的調查，外交部只不過在拖延時間而已。亦即現在「李慶安過去14年都是美國人」的證據已經確定，台北地檢署卻還把責任推給外交部，並以之為包庇重刑犯的藉口！

好吧，假設我們違背一切邏輯與事實認知，強迫自己相信外交部會在二月底前拿出李慶安在這段時間已經放棄國籍的證明好了，那頂多也只能認定李慶安現在這一任立委沒有國籍問題。但如果這樣，那不等於李慶安自己提出「過去14年都有雙重國籍」的另一個鐵證嗎？

亦即，不管提出已經在最近放棄國籍的證明，或者根本提不出證明，李慶安犯重罪連續犯了14年，已經是很明確，跟外交部對她「這一任立委」的國籍調查一點關係也沒有。

這麼明確的犯罪事實，台北地檢署為什麼都沒有動她？

檢調單位在調查台灣人時常用的「防止嫌疑犯在外面串供或湮滅證據或逃亡出國」的羈押理由，碰到泛藍就「自動無效」？

在台灣的泛藍人士跟泛綠人士的等級是不一樣的，他們即使犯了重罪，好像不會、也不必接受法律制裁。像李慶安這種毫無法治觀念的人，不可能把侵吞的薪資吐出來，更不可能在台灣乖乖接受司法審判。她的唯一選項就是落跑，而現在台北地檢署以外交部為藉口按兵不動，很可能就是要給她時間安排好一切以便潛逃出境。

李慶安既犯重罪又是美國籍，落跑包袱款一款上飛機就可以，為什麼還需要時間？

原來，李慶安不只是台灣的重刑犯，還是美國的重刑犯。美國人即使在海外工作，也要向美國政府繳稅。李慶安在去年（2008年）向美國報稅時顯然故意少報了很多，使得她變成有資格領取去年底美國政府給低收入者設立的「景氣刺激專案」的款項（Economic Stimulus Payment)。

這已經是對美國政府的詐欺罪。

以她目前被發現的「隨時專法律漏洞」的行為模式，可以想見，她過去14年在台灣違法貪得的薪資，在向美國政府報稅時很可能都有少報甚至完全漏報，等於是欺騙美國政府14年。李慶安要擔心的，不只台灣的司法，還有美國的司法。

但美國的司法，一定會治她的罪嗎？

不一定。美國雖然是個法治國家，還是有很多人鑽法律漏洞。李慶安鑽法律漏洞以避免美國政府法辦她，是很有可能的。

譬如說，偽造台灣議員及立委薪資證明。

「偽造」本就是許多中國人的專長，更何況李慶安在「舔耳案」還曾為了政治鬥爭不惜「偽造證人」。對她來講，設局偽造證人以陷害無辜不算什麼，隱瞞雙重國籍貪污台灣人納稅錢不算什麼，向美國政府漏報所得稅不算什麼，以此詐騙美國政府以領取低收入退稅不算什麼。。。

那偽造一個薪資證明對她又算得了什麼？

如果她偽造薪資證明去進一步欺騙美國，美國相關單位閉一隻眼，這件事可能就矇過去了。

當然這不是唯一的可能性。李慶安既然是美國人，她宣誓效忠的國家是美國，她在台灣「潛伏」這麼久，長期擔任公職並影響台灣政局，誰能保證她沒有暗中在替美國效力？

即使李慶安之前並沒有當美國間諜，但現在因為在台灣的罪刑都已經被揭發，回美國也必須面臨法律制裁，她有可能主動出賣台灣機密給美國，以便跟美國政府達成不治罪的協議，讓她可以逃避台灣的法律制裁，又可以逃回美國安心享受14年污來的錢。

不管是偽造過去14年所得的證明以準備逃回美國，或暗中安排跟她效忠的美國政府以「出賣台灣利益」做為赦免重罪的交換條件，都需要時間安排。

時間？這不正是北檢現在正提供的掩護嗎？

自由時報的報導說得很好：

但檢方對這一切，好像都視若無睹，沒有任何積極作為，沒有境管、更別提押人了；當昨天力霸案宣判的時候，不少人說，王又曾當初選在「關鍵時間」跑了，難道，本案也要等關鍵被告在「巧合出國」之後，再來限制出境、再假裝很無奈的說「沒想到讓她早一步溜走」這種話？
http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2009/new/jan/1/today-p5-2.htm

台北地檢署是不是想成為人民眼中「包庇泛藍重罪犯」的共犯結構，就看北檢會不會即時法辦這個已經罪刑確鑿的14年重刑犯李慶安了。

美國官方回函確認李慶安是美國人

美國官方回應台灣外交部請求「調查立委雙重國籍」一案，回函中明確指出，國民黨立委李慶安與孔文吉擁有美國公民身份。

Our records reveal that Wen-Chi Kung, born 10/18/1957, and Ching-An Lee, born 01/17/1959, have previously been documented as U.S. citizens with U.S. passports and no subsequent loss of U.S. citizenship has been documented.

我們的紀錄顯示，生於 1957年10月18日的孔文吉和生於 1959年1月17日的李慶安有正式成為美國公民並擁有美國護照。沒有任何資料顯示該兩人曾經喪失美國公民身份。
[from: Diane Lee still a US citizen: DPP （該文有事件表列）]

這個李慶安，從 1991年就當美國人，1994 年開始偽法當台北市議員，後來接著偽法當立委，以美國人身份，拿台灣人的納稅錢去繳美國稅（美國政府規定，美國人在海外工作也要納稅給美國政府）。李慶安就這樣明目張膽地污台灣人的錢，整整污了 14 年 ！！

而她在當北市議員時，自己是美國人，卻有那個臉攻擊當時的副市長陳師孟沒有放棄美國籍。後來陳師孟正式辦理辦理放棄美國籍手續，這個攻擊別人「雙重國籍」的李慶安，卻從那時一直到現在還擁有雙重國籍！

我不敢相信，天底下竟有這麼無恥的人！