Lei Chen This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. Defending Taiwan's "Democracy"

   www.antiwar.com/chu/chu-col.ht - [Cached]

   Published on: 12/14/1999   Last Visited: 9/29/2004

   Chen responded the way he always does - the way he responds to strenuous objections from majority Pan Blue voters on Taiwan that "stealth separatism" and "creeping independence" were in clear and direct violation of Article 4 of the Republic of China's One China Constitution.
   
   Chen shined them on.
   
   In a glib reply oozing the smarmy insincerity that is A-Bian's trademark, and which must be read to be believed, Chen paid pro forma lip service to press freedom, promising everything but delivering nothing:
   
   "... History will also show that I have a long-standing record of being an unconditional supporter of freedom of press. [sic] As an activist for democratic reform, I became a prisoner of conscience in 1984 after publishing a magazine. Hence, I share your conviction that freedom of speech is an unequivocal, indispensable human right... the essence of democracy should never be quelled under the pretext of national security, nor should the flag of national security be used as a cover for undermining freedom of press. [sic]"
   
   ... AS I LIE THROUGH MY TEETH
   
   What "History will show" is that Chen served time not as "a prisoner of conscience," not because he was "an activist for democratic reform," but because as a magazine publisher he waged a libelous media campaign against a hated political enemy - former New Party legislator Fung Hu-hsiang.
   
   Unable to discredit Fung's pro-reunification political philosophy, a frustrated, vindictive Chen set out to destroy Fung by fabricating charges of plagiarism against him. Fung demanded that Chen issue a retraction and an apology. Chen not only refused, he escalated his smear campaign.
   
   Left with no alternative, Fung filed suit against Chen. Confronted in open court with demands that he present evidence to back up his scurrilous charges, Chen couldn't. Chen was convicted of libel and served an 8 month sentence.
   ...
   I myself was taken in by this Big Lie of A-Bian's, as one of my early op-eds which mistakenly refers to Chen as "a former political prisoner" reveals.
   
   It was so typical of Chen not merely to lie, but to embed one lie within another. Not only did Chen lie about his nonexistent commitment to "freedom of [the] press," he lied about his record of libel as a magazine publisher, to a media watchdog group no less. Perhaps Chen confused Cooper with one of his semiliterate, narrow-minded True Believers?
   
   Cooper, to her credit, was neither deceived nor amused, and faxed Chen again:
   ...
   Most Americans and Europeans haven't the slightest inkling as to how relentlessly Lee and Chen have persecuted anyone who stands in the way of their dream of a "Republic of Taiwan."
   ...
   Chinese on Taiwan who defy Lee's "policy," stringently enforced by Lee's successor Chen, face legal prosecution.
   ...
   When Chen was an ROC legislator, his staff of twenty legislative assistants were employees of Evergreen, provided free of charge to Chen by Chang. Recently a Chen appointee made his debut as Chairman of the Board of Taiwan's state-owned Bank of Transportation and Communications.
   ...
   DPP officials have suggested that if President Chen of the ROC was simultaneously Chairman Chen of the DPP, "coordination between the executive branch and the ruling party would be more streamlined, more efficient." Would you be surprised to learn that instead of indignantly rejecting the proposal, A-Bian promptly put his seal of approval on it?
   
   So now the "Son of Taiwan" is simultaneously Chairman of the DPP, President of the ROC, and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. Chairman Chen, meet Chairman Mao.

2. 2. Defending Taiwan's "Democracy"

   www.antiwar.com/chu/chu-col.ht - [Cached]

   Last Visited: 8/28/2002

   Chen responded the way he always does - the way he responds to strenuous objections from majority Pan Blue voters on Taiwan that "stealth separatism" and "creeping independence" were in clear and direct violation of Article 4 of the Republic of China's One China Constitution.
   
   Chen shined them on.
   
   In a glib reply oozing the smarmy insincerity that is A-Bian's trademark, and which must be read to be believed, Chen paid pro forma lip service to press freedom, promising everything but delivering nothing:
   
   "... History will also show that I have a long-standing record of being an unconditional supporter of freedom of press. [sic] As an activist for democratic reform, I became a prisoner of conscience in 1984 after publishing a magazine. Hence, I share your conviction that freedom of speech is an unequivocal, indispensable human right... the essence of democracy should never be quelled under the pretext of national security, nor should the flag of national security be used as a cover for undermining freedom of press. [sic]"
   
   ... AS I LIE THROUGH MY TEETH
   
   What "History will show" is that Chen served time not as "a prisoner of conscience," not because he was "an activist for democratic reform," but because as a magazine publisher he waged a libelous media campaign against a hated political enemy - former New Party legislator Fung Hu-hsiang.
   
   Unable to discredit Fung's pro-reunification political philosophy, a frustrated, vindictive Chen set out to destroy Fung by fabricating charges of plagiarism against him. Fung demanded that Chen issue a retraction and an apology. Chen not only refused, he escalated his smear campaign.
   
   Left with no alternative, Fung filed suit against Chen. Confronted in open court with demands that he present evidence to back up his scurrilous charges, Chen couldn't. Chen was convicted of libel and served an 8 month sentence.
   
   This is all a matter of public record. You'd think with the scores of US based "China experts" busy scribbling away on cross Straits issues, one of them would have bothered to verify the authenticity of A-Bian's account? No such luck.
   
   ...
   I myself was taken in by this Big Lie of A-Bian's, as one of my early op-eds which mistakenly refers to Chen as "a former political prisoner" reveals.
   
   It was so typical of Chen not merely to lie, but to embed one lie within another. Not only did Chen lie about his nonexistent commitment to "freedom of [the] press," he lied about his record of libel as a magazine publisher, to a media watchdog group no less. Perhaps Chen confused Cooper with one of his semiliterate, narrow-minded True Believers?
   
   Cooper, to her credit, was neither deceived nor amused, and faxed Chen again:
   
   " ...recent actions by your government have undermined Taiwan's legal protections for freedom of speech, which is guaranteed in Article 11 of the constitution... CPJ strongly urges Your Excellency to ensure that your promises to respect press freedom are reflected in the policies and actions of your administration... we are not convinced that the articles in Taiwan Next and China Times pose a genuine threat to national security... we see no justification for raiding the offices of Taiwan Next and attempting to censor the publication..."
   
   Cooper's postscript drops all pretense at diplomatic circumlocution:
   
   "Join CPJ in protesting this attack on the press. Write or fax to the address above."
   ...
   Most Americans and Europeans haven't the slightest inkling as to how relentlessly Lee and Chen have persecuted anyone who stands in the way of their dream of a "Republic of Taiwan." Taiwan's Green Terror began with Lee Teng-hui fourteen years ago, and accelerated with Chen Shui-bian's "democratic" succession to Taiwan's throne two years ago. Witnessing a Pan Blue opposition divided and in disarray, impotent to check rampant "Green Government" lawlessness, Taiwan's Quisling nomenklatura grows more brazen with each passing month.
   
   ...
   Chinese on Taiwan who defy Lee's "policy," stringently enforced by Lee's successor Chen, face legal prosecution.
   ...
   When Chen was an ROC legislator, his staff of twenty legislative assistants were employees of Evergreen, provided free of charge to Chen by Chang. Recently a Chen appointee made his debut as Chairman of the Board of Taiwan's state-owned Bank of Transportation and Communications. The new bank chairman is Chang Rong-fa's son in law.
   
   CHAIRMAN CHEN, MEET CHAIRMAN MAO
   
   Since its founding the DPP has routinely and rightly condemned the KMT for its Leninist conflation of Party, State and Military authority into a single Supreme Leader. One of the DPP's solemn promises was that once in office it would put a swift end to such top heavy "cult of leadership" institutions inconsistent with bottom up, grass roots style democracy.
   ...
   DPP officials have suggested that if President Chen of the ROC was simultaneously Chairman Chen of the DPP, "coordination between the executive branch and the ruling party would be more streamlined, more efficient." Would you be surprised to learn that instead of indignantly rejecting the proposal, A-Bian promptly put his seal of approval on it?
   
   So now the "Son of Taiwan" is simultaneously Chairman of the DPP, President of the ROC, and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. Chairman Chen, meet Chairman Mao. You have more in common with him than you would care to acknowledge.
   
   THE IMMORTAL FOLLY
   
   "Those who have been once intoxicated with power, and have derived any kind of emolument from it... can never willingly abandon it."
   
   ...
   Among those falsely accused is Admiral Lei, father of Lei Chen, a former Executive Vice President of the American Broadcasting Company.

3. 3. Defending Taiwan's "Democracy"

   www.antiwar.com/chu/chu-col.ht - [Cached]

   Published on: 12/14/1999   Last Visited: 11/14/2005

   Among those falsely accused is Admiral Lei, father of Lei Chen, a former Executive Vice President of the American Broadcasting Company.