Taiwan Church News
3191 Edition
April 22-28, 2013
Editorial

Translated by Lydia Ma

April 19 was a hot and humid day. On this day, the Department of Justice (DOJ) decided to transfer former President Chen Shui-bian from Taipei Veterans General Hospital to a large correctional facility in Taichung known as the Peite Correctional Center, which, as far as we know, does not have any medical equipment and is not suitable for ailing convicts. This transfer was carried out without regard to Chen’s well-being and security and unbeknownst to Chen’s attending physician at Taipei Veterans Hospital.

Later on in the day, President Ma allegedly met with representatives of international organizations that oppose the death penalty. Ma told this delegation that Taiwan’s current policy is to “retain the death penalty but limit its use”. Ironically, merely a few hours later in the day, the DOJ executed 6 death-row inmates by shooting. The rest of the day revolved around debate on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, which ended without any progress.

All in all, April 19 was heartbreaking day and the lives of many people were in the hands of the government. In recent years, former President Chen’s corruption has become a “social reality” rather than a “reality”. In fact, the pro-unification media have strived to paint Chen as the chief of sinners ever since the day he left office. Their strategies aimed at discrediting Chen are reminiscent of government strategies used to discredit people who were killed during the 228 Massacre and the White Terror era. What I want to point out is that, even if Chen were truly guilty, treating a former head of state in this manner and denying him humanitarian assistance is practically politically-motivated murder.

We know that they way Chen has been treated is not the norm and it is definitely politically-motivated. We know this based on how other high-profile politicians who were also indicted and sentenced and imprisoned were treated. Former Vice-Admiral Wang Hsi-ling’s treatment while serving his sentence stands as a stark contrast to A-bian. Wang was the head of the Ministry of National Defense's intelligence bureau and the highest-ranking officer in the military of Taiwan to ever be court-martialed. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1986. However, the living quarters to which he was “confined” included a bedroom, a study, a kitchen, and he could also live with his family during the time he was confined to the prestigious facility for political prisoners once known as Jingmei Penitentiary. Wang was eventually granted clemency in 1991 and released. To this day, no official in the current KMT government charged with corruption has been treated half as harshly as their political opponent Chen Shui-bian. If A-bian should die of illness inside Peite Correctional Center one day, we should not be at all surprised at the news.

In recent days, we’ve heard many ridiculous comments from the KMT camp, including comments such as “Peite is like a resort villa” and “nuclear wastes are precious things”, which only serve to further demonstrate the Ma administration’s contempt for the people of Taiwan. April 19 was just a typical day in these butchers’ lives, but those who take up the sword should be reminded that they shall die by the sword. The 6 death-row inmates were executed because the government is powerless when it comes to fixing the social ills that led these people to commit their crimes and such executions are akin to taking morphine – given to numb rather than to heal. Similarly, the debacle surrounding the construction and the referendum on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant makes us feel like sheep waiting at the slaughterhouse.

Now is a good time to point out that when Emperor Nero set fire on Rome and then blamed Christians for it, he was renounced by the people when the truth was finally revealed. Similarly, the Taiwanese people are able to judge whether it’s more appropriate that former President Chen Shui-bian’s parole case be left to medical professionals. They are also able to judge whether President Ma is the one in need of medical attention. As for Christians, we are not only called to pray again and again but also to take action again and again.