dpp newsletter nov-dec2008

8/7/2019 DPP Newsletter Nov-Dec2008

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A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE DPPS

DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

DPPNEWSLETTER200 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

DEMOCRACY&PROGRESS

Department of

International Affairs

Democratic Progressive Party

8F, No. 30, Pei-Ping East Rd.

Taipei, Taiwan

t. 886-2-23929989 ext. 306

f. 886-2-23930342

e-mail: [email protected]

web: http://www.dpp.org.tw

Director:

Lin Chen-wei

Deputy Director:

Huang Chih-ta

Editor-In-Chief:

Hsiaoching Liu

Editor:

Mike Fonte

Staff Writer:

James Chen

Britt Mercadante

SPECIAL EDITION:

Taiwans Democracy and Human Rights Face Crisis

DPP HUMAN RIGHTS HANDBOOK

DPP HUMAN RIGHTS HAND BOOK (page 1)

DPP NEWS

1. DPPs critics on Three LinksDPP acknowledged that the Three Links policy made cross-Strait exchanges more

convenient, but it also brought risk We will now focus its supervision on whether thereare any asymmetries arising from cross-Strait exchanges and if Taiwans economy is indanger of becoming marginalized or regressing into a tributary state said DPPSpokeperson Chen Wen-tsan...

2. DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen expressed her solidarity to Dalai Lama andTibetansWhile other countries may fail to welcome or even rebuke the Dalai Lama based ontheir national interests, this is not the case for Taiwan. We sympathize with thosecountries that are suppressed, mistreated and marginalized in the internationalcommunity because Taiwan faces the same difficulties. Thus, the Ma governmentssuppression of the Dalai Lama is particularly unacceptable

3. DPP on Taiwan economy: Job creation first!

4. An open letter from Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen: Why Chen Yunlin is not

welcome in Taiwan?

DPP Polls

1. October 2008 Survey

2. 2008 Chinas Public Image in Taiwan


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2 DEMOCRACY & PROGRESS

When people saw the tight police cordons, iron barricades, rampant casesof police brutality and illegitimate interrogation, as well as confiscation ofthe national flag, for those who lived through Taiwans 38 years of martiallaw old anxieties and fears resurfaced. Young people, used to politicalfreedom and freedom of speech, were shocked. When the Ma governmentrefused to respond to the voices of the people, public emotion escalatedinto anger, which in turn led to a number of conflicts and altercationsbetween the police and protestors

Sun-Raise record store incident

When Chen Yunlin was at the dinner reception hosted by KMT leaders at the Ambassador Hotel on November 5, anearby record store (Sun-Raise Records) was playing some Taiwanese songs out loud. The police broke into thatrecord store without permission of owner and without a search warrant, asked the store owner to stop the music, andpulled down the stores gate with such a force that it broke.

DPP HUMAN RIGHTS HAND BOOK

DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN TAIWAN

BACKGROUND..page 1

EROSION OF THE RULE OF LAW.page 2

1. Investigative Detention ()2. Violation of Principle of Non-Disclosure and Trial By Media

3. Selective Investigation And Prosecution ()4. Political Interference In the Judicial Process

WHATS NEXT? ..page 5

BACKGROUND

The political landscape in Taiwan has changed considerably since President Ma Ying-jeou was inaugurated six

months ago with his party, the Kuomintang (KMT), already holding nearly 75% of the seats in the legislature.

Despite the triumphs heralded by the mainstream international media of a picture of stabilized and cooperativerelations between Taiwan and China and peaceful development across Taiwan Strait, the policies initiated by thenew Ma administration- and particularly his precipitous slide towards China- are actually worrying many Taiwanese.

Democracy is a revolutionary concept that allows every citizen the freedom to make choices- choices regarding theircountrys leader, the social welfare system, trade policy, environmental protection, foreign relations, or in other words,the choice to determine a peoples way of life.

However, under the current KMT governments policies regarding our economy, foreign affairs and defense, theTaiwanese people feel that they are losing their right to participate and determine their own future. This is not simply achoice for independence or being part of China, but more importantly, its a choice between living in a free anddemocratic nation, or an authoritarian, communist one.

As a result, when Ma insisted on inviting Mr. Chen Yunlin, Chinas highest official in charge of relations with Taiwan toour country, this, together with the impact on Taiwans economy of the international financial crisis, has contributed tohis popularity declining from a high of over 70% to approximately 24%. The dismay over Mas policies was clearlyexpressed at two large-scale peaceful protest rallies, one on August 30 th and one on October 25th of this year, withthe latter seeing over 500,000 citizens participating.

It should be noted that these demonstrations were calls to protect Taiwans sovereignty and address the economicneeds of our people they were not calls to overthrow the duly elected government of President Ma. As a party, theDPP has rigorously stood by our Constitution and its procedures.

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First, in accordance with the due process of law, the principle of innocent untilproven guilty and writ of habeas corpus, detentions should be the last resort forinvestigators. However, prosecutors have recently tried to gain confessionsthrough arrests. While one or two of the accused have been formally charged, themajority are being held incommunicado without being charged.

In Governor Sus case, she was not even formally notified by the prosecutorregarding the investigation into her case. She was just arrested and placed ininvesti ative detention one mornin on her wa to work.

FREEDOMS OF SPEECH AND FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY UNDER THREAT

(At the protests, people held flags and banners with the slogans: One Taiwan, One China, 23 million Taiwanese decidefuture of Taiwan, and Head of Region Ma. They also tied yellow ribbons, which contained the slogan Taiwan is my

country on them, on trees, their heads, and their waists.)

On the day (November 6) Ma Ying-jeou received Chen Yunlin at Taipei Guest House, over 100,000 people came outto the street for the Yellow Ribbon Action rally. People wanted to show Mr. Chen that Taiwan is my country - not

part of his. Like other demonstrations around the world, whether against globalization or for a free Tibet, peopleturned out in T-shirts, held up our banners and flags, and shouted slogans. However, people soon realized that t hesecurity measures implemented to protect Chen Yunlin, including 7,000 police and concertina wire string throughoutTaipei, were draconian.

Sun-Raise record store incident

When Chen Yunlin was at the dinner reception hosted by KMT leaders at the Ambassador Hotel on November 5, anearby record store (Sun-Raise Records) was playing some Taiwanese songs out loud. The police broke into thatrecord store without permission of owner and without a search warrant, asked the store owner to stop the music, andpulled down the stores gate with such a force that it broke.

When people saw the tight police cordons, iron barricades, rampant cases ofpolice brutality and illegitimate interrogation, as well as confiscation of thenational flag, for those who lived through Taiwans 38 years of martial law oldanxieties and fears resurfaced. Young people, used to political freedom andfreedom of speech, were shocked. When the Ma government refused torespond to the voices of the people, public emotion escalated into anger,which in turn led to a number of conflicts and altercations between the police

and protestors.


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EROSION OF THE RULE OF LAW

In addition to the threats to freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, as well as the loss of any checks andbalance in the government, Taiwan faces an even more serious challenge: the erosion of the rule of law. The ironrule of any true democracy, that the judicial system be impartial and not under the thumb of the ruling party, has beenbadly damaged by the current administration.

Over the past several months, several former and incumbent DPP officials have been accused of corruption without

clear evidence being presented or charges filed, and were held incommunicado in detention for the purpose ofinvestigation and forced confessions.

Specific case of concerns:

(From left to right: Chiou I-Jen, Chen Min-wen, Yu Cheng-hsien, Su Chih-fen, Chen Shui-bian)

The arrest and detention on October 15th of Yu Cheng-hsien, former Interior Minister

The arrest and detention on October 27th of James Lee, former Hsinchu Science Park Director

The arrest and detention on October 29th of Chen Ming-wen, DPP Chiayi County Magistrate

The arrest and detention on October 31st of Chiou I-jen, former National Security Council

Secretary-general

The arrest and detention on November 4th of Ms. Su Chih-fen, DPP Yunlin County Magistrate

The arrest and detention on November 12th of former president Chen Shui-bian.

The violation of fundamental principles of the rule of law by prosecutors has caused hard feelings, anxieties anddoubt in the Taiwanese public as well as drawing concern from international society and human rights organizations,such as Freedom House.

1. Investigative Detention ()

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First, in accordance with the due process of law, the principle of innocentuntil proven guilty and writ of habeas corpus, detentions should be the lastresort for investigators. However, prosecutors have recently tried to gainconfessions through arrests. While one or two of the accused have beenformally charged, the majority are being held incommunicado without beingcharged.

In Governor Sus case, she was not even formally notified by the prosecutorregarding the investigation into her case. She was just arrested and placedin investigative detention one morning on her way to work.

In Taiwan law, only when defendents might possibly commit suicide, engagein violent behavior and seek to escape, do handcuffs become necessary.Moreover, related regulations note that the police should be aware of thepossible negative impact the image of handcuffs may bring to adefendants social reputation, and thus the police should try not to let the

handcuffs be exposed to the public. However, former President Chen washandcuffed without legitimate and sufficient evidence and led away in publicfor detention. Governor Chen has been held in investigative detention foralmost a month, but so far, he has never been summoned by theprosecutors for an investigation


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Quest ions or c omm ents? Feel f ree t o

em ai l t hem t o [email protected] w or

dpp fore ign @gm ail .c om

DPP Proposes New Measures to Deal with Chinese Milk Sc andal

As the Chinese Milk Scandal reaches its second week of existence, the DPP has issued several proposals to help make

amends for those who have suffered in this crisis as well as reduce the chances of a similar one occurring in the future.

The DPP first urged the KMT government to secure a public apology and compensation from China to not only the

victims of melamine-poisoning but also to the companies who have endured severe financial losses as well as a decline

in reputation during this scandal. If China fails to take responsibility for its corrupt actions, then the KMT should forbid

ARATS chief Chen Yunlin, scheduled to visit Taiwan sometime during the next month, from entering into the county.

The DPP further proposed that amendments should be added to two separate food safety laws, the Act Governing Food

Sanitation and the Commodity Labeling Law, to help protect the health of the Taiwanese people. DPP members

specifically called for further transparencywithin the export business by demanding that a products place of origin be

placed in clear view for the consumer to see.

2. Violation of Principle of Non-Disclosure and Trial By Media

According to Taiwan law, the prosecutors should never disclose the methods, direction, process, and status of aninvestigation to the public, nor should they release any information concerning the privacy and reputation of thesuspects. However, during the investigation of these cases, the prosecutors have constantly violated the principle ofnon-disclosure by selectively revealing details of the case to the media, thus transforming the case into a

trial-by-media.

Here are some few examples: October 17, 2008, the Special Investigative Unit searched Chinatrust Financial Holding, Yuan-da Financial

Holding, China-Development Financial Holding and Mega Holding. But before the search started, the media wasalready waiting in front of the Chinatrust Financial Holding office building.

One day before Chiayi County Magistrate Chen Ming-wens home was searched by the prosecutor (Oct. 2,2008), one of the KMT councilors revealed that Chens house would be searched soon.

August 14, 2008, a KMT legislator publicized Ms. Huang Jui-chings (wife of former president Chens son)banking information in Merrill Lynch Bank in Geneva. This information was provided by the Swiss Federal

Department of Justice and Police. Thus, this legislator apparently could only obtain this information from theprosecutors office.

According to Taiwanese law, TV or radio programs are prohibited from commenting on cases (and the individualsinvolved) under investigation or trial as well as prohibited from publicizing or reporting on the confidential debatesregarding the cases or trials. However, based on the DPPs unofficial statistics from August 15 to October 5, 2008,209 political talk shows violated the aforementioned law. The DPP Caucus has filed formal complaints based on thelaw to the National Communications Commission regarding this matter. However, our request was ignored.

3. Selective Investigation And Prosecution ()There has been a very clear difference in how the judiciary has handled KMT and DPP cases. None of the KMTofficials accused of crimes has faced the turmoil that currently affects the DPP officials. Neither has any of them beendetained before being formally charged. In many cases, the investigation process for KMT officials is extremely slow,and some cases havent even been investigated yet.

Q: Of those KMT officials who have been charged with corruption, how many have been detained?

ZERO!

KMT officialscharged with

corruption

Description of the case Current status Detained?

Former mayor ofKeelung,Hsu, Tsai-li

Pressured Keelung City government officialsto choose land he partially owned in severalpublic procurement deals.

Sentenced for7-year in prison bylocal court.

No

Hsin-chu CountyMagistrateCheng, Yung-chin

Accepted bribe payment of NT$ 1,000,000from Jinher Construction Company whichbribes in order to quickly obtain establishmentpermit and building permit.

Prosecutor askedfor 10 years inprison. Case is stillon the trail.

No

Former MiaoliCounty MagistrateHer, Jyh-huei

Involved in Gong land acquisition scandal andJo-jung () Development Companyscandal, received bribe payment of NT$100million more and over-lending NT$ 1.1 billion.

Sentenced for15-year prison,deprivation of civilrights for 8 years byTaiwan High Court.

No

Nan-tou CountyMagistrateLee, Chao-ching

Involved in receiving bribery from constructionprojects and intended to allow specific vendersto benefits from public procurement on holidaygifts etc.

Case still underinvestigation.

No

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Q: Of those KMT officials who have been alleged with corruption, how many have been investigated?

KMT Official Description of the case Date CaseInvestigated?

Cho, Bo-yuan(Changhua CountyMagistrate)

Alleged involvement in kickbacks from companiesthat submitted tenders for the rights to operate theelectronic toll system.

2004-06-25 No

Liu, Cheng-Hung Alleged involvement in Chinese Farmer Bankover-lending Scandal

2005-11-30 No

Huang, Chung-Sheng(Taichung CountyMagistrate)

Alleged involvement in Tai-Kai and Da-Li IndustrialPark scandals

2005-11-24 No

Lien Chan(Former vicepresident)Vincent Siew

Alleged involvement in embezzling specialallowance funds

2006-11-08 No

Ma Ying-jeou(former Taipei CityMayor)

Alleged malpractice for allowing a middle school toown land without paying rent, which resulted in aloss of tax revenue for the city government.

2007-05-16 No

Ma, Ying-jeou,Liu, Chao-shiuan,Wu, Poh-hsiung,Hao, Long-bin etc

97 KMT officials (including Ma, Ying-jeou, Liu,Chao-shiuan, Wu, Poh-hsiung, Hao, Long-bin etc)alleged embezzlement of special allowance funds

2007-05-17 No

Ma Ying-jeou (formerTaipei City Mayor andformer KMTChairperson)

- Alleged involvement in several corruptionscandals: receiving kickbacks and attempting tohelp certain parties to profit from publicconstruction projects- Alleged involvement in rapid-liquidizing of illegalparty assets

2007-07-17 No

Hao, Long-bin (TaipeiCity Mayor)

Alleged involvement in scandal about school landin Tianmu

2008-01-19 No

Diane Lee

(Legislator)

Alleged possession of dual Taiwanese/U.S.

citizenship while serving as legislator

2008-03-12 No

Wu, Samuel Allegedly received illegal consultant fees 2008-04-25 No

Lee, Chu-Feng(Kinmen CountyMagistrate)

Allegedly used public funding for his wifestraveling expenses abroad.

2008-10-15 No

4. Political Interference In the Judicial ProcessNeither the President, nor the Premier nor the Minister of Justice have the authority to direct or control legalproceedings, nor do they have the legitimacy to make public statements on cases under judicialinvestigation.However, President Ma Ying-jeou and Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng have even publicly

announced that former President Chen will be prosecuted as well as made statements insinuating that Chen isguilty. These kinds of behavior are not only sentencing without trial but also imply political interference in theprosecution process.

President Ma Ying-jeou stated in a media interview that former president Chen Shui-bian will be prosecutedby the end of the year, and referred Chen as Ferdinand Marcos in Taiwan.

When being asked by a KMT legislator to arrest former President Chen Shui-bian in the Legislative Yuan,Premier Liu Chao-shiuan replied, We will get down to it as soon as possible.

Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng openly discussed Chens case in the political talk show

Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng visited the KMT headquarter for a meeting with KMTSecretary-General Wu Don-Yih to discuss Chens case.

Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng openly explained the charges against Tainan councilor in theLegislative Yuan.

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WHATS NEXT?

Recently, we all witnessed critical situations taking place in other "democratic" countries showing that liberaldemocracy is under threat in many parts of the world. Democratic backsliding in Taiwan ever since the Maadministration took office is sadly one of these situations.

Although we are disappointed in recent developments in Taiwan, we are not in despair over the current situation. TheTaiwanese people remain firmly committed to keeping the flame of democracy alive. This is a learning process.Recent developments in Taiwan have reminded us that democracy is never perfect and never completely secure. Itrequires continual awareness and care as well as periodic reform and revitalization. We are learning these lessons,especially our young people. They sometimes are derogatorily labeled strawberries by those who criticize them forbeing too soft to shoulder responsibility.

Recently, they have shown their mettle. A group of some 500 university students, accompanied by several professorsand NGO professionals, spontaneously initiated a sit-in in the Freedom Square to protest the aggressive policebehavior and the severe infringement on freedom of assembly and speech during Chen Yunlins visit. They learned tocherish the hard-earned democracy in Taiwan, and shoulder the responsibility necessary for their countrys survival.

The DPP has always been the guardian and engine for Taiwans democracy. We have stood up for our people andled street demonstrations during the period of Martial Law. We fought as the opposition party in the 80s and 90s, andpushed for democratic, education, judicial and political reforms, and assistance to other newly democratized countrieswhen we were in government from 2000 to 2008.

Today, we are facing a new challenge. We will continue to push for a Second Democratization Agenda that strivesto defend Taiwans democracy and to project serious policy alternatives to the failed and flawed policies of the currentadministration.

Finally, we would like to express our appreciation for your warm friendship to Taiwan and your supports for Taiwansdemocracy.

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DPP NEWS

DPPs critics on Three Links: Three Links lacks protective measures and put Taiwans

economy into risks of marginalization and overdependence

Dec. 16, 2008 On the second day of the roll-out of the three links, Democratic Progressive Party spokesman ChengWen-tsang, speaking on behalf on Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen, acknowledged that the policy made cross-Strait exchangesmore convenient, but it also brought risk. In the future, we must not only supervise the state of Taiwan sovereignty, but wemust also keep a close eye on its economy. The DPP will now focus its supervision on whether there are any asymmetriesarising from cross-Strait exchanges and if Taiwans economy is in danger of becoming marginalized or regressing into atributary state.

Spokesman Cheng pointed out that supervisory and protective provisions were missing from the cross-Strait tradingrelationship. This kind of exchange is unequal in nature and contradicts the Ma administrations declaration that all signswere positive. The fact is the lack of protective provisions in cross-Strait exchanges has created many victims such asfarmers. Not only have Taiwanese agricultural trademarks been counterfeited in China, low cost Chinese agriculturalexports are likely to be dumped upon and take over the markets in Taiwan, Europe, the U.S., and Japan. There is also a

possibility that there will be an outflow of our agricultural technology, samples, and human capital towards China. RecentlyChina has been promoting special economic zones on the west coast of the Taiwan Strait and sought to attractbusinessmen to agricultural parks they have established. This will lead to an outflow of Taiwans agricultural sector to Chinain the long run, so agricultural exchanges are not necessarily beneficial to Taiwan.

Taiwans workforce faces an even greater challenge. Spokesman Cheng stated that the relocation of the manufacturingindustry to China has caused the unemployment of many workers not only in traditional manufacturing, but also the hightech industry as well. Capital can flow freely, but labor cannot. This has led to a decrease in the real wages of local workers.With direct cross-Strait exchanges, workers in all industries and sectors are in danger of becoming victims. Once localtraditional manufacturing industries such as Yunlins towel industry, Taichung Countys luggage industry, and Changhuascotton sock industry relocate abroad, Taiwans competitive advantages will be lost and result in regional unemployment.

Spokesman Cheng went on to say that shipping and airline industries also face the same competitive threats. China hasbeen engaging in large-scale construction of ports along its coast and developing its air freight industry. The shippingagreements that were signed did not include traffic rights within the mainland or the fifth freedom traffic rights for air freightshippers. This will most likely lead to the degrading of competitive ability of the local airline industry. Taiwans shippingindustry was at the top worldwide at one time. Now the Chinese shipping industry with its advantage in ports may easilytake Taiwans place.

Spokesman Cheng stressed that currently the Ma administrations claim that there would be 3,000 Chinese tourists arrivingdaily was an empty promise. Chinas monopolistic practices also cast doubt on whether Taiwan will see any benefits ofincreased tourism. So far Taiwan has not benefited from the opening of the country to Chinese tourists. Moreover,Taiwanese businesspeople in China are also facing economic difficulties. With costs rising due to the new labor law and adecrease in exports, Taiwanese businesspeople have not seen any tangible benefits from the greater opening towardsChina.

Taiwans poultry industry also faces threats. Its annual exports had reached NT$5 billion (US$156 million). The spread offoot and mouth disease (FMD) from China has seriously damaged the local poultry industry. Spokesman Cheng stated thatTaiwan is currently entering the final 2 years of its observation period to be taken off the quarantine watch list. If there isanother FMD outbreak arising from Taiwans opening towards China and an incomplete disease inspection regime, thenthe day when poultry producers can begin exports again will be pushed into the distant future. From incidents involvingmelamine, FMD, and SARS, it can be seen that there exist extremely large public health risks in China. It is absolutelyessential that we remain vigilant.

Spokesman Cheng emphasized that the three links have not only increased Taiwans dependence on Chinas economy,Taiwans foreign investment flows have also slowly centered on China. China-bound investment capital in March of thisyear far surpassed last years figure. This proves that after the opening of the three links, risk will be significantly increased.

Spokesman Cheng pointed out that the passenger capacity rates on the first direct flights did not meet estimates. Cargocapacity rates also left much to be desired. Looking at current postal schedules, the claim that letters delivered in themorning will be received by afternoon is absurd. Premier Lius remark that fresh deliveries in the morning would make itonto the dinner table at night completely ignored issues of disease inspections. Lius unfulfilled promises of

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the benefits of the three links proves that all the Ma administration can do is offer hyped-up promises. We feel that greaterconvenience must also be accompanied by necessary safety measures.

Spokesman Cheng expressed that the Ma administrations termination of the active management policy is an abandonmentof responsibility. Even the most trade-friendly country will have management measures put in place. If there is a completeabsence of managing trade between Taiwan and China, the result will be a complete asymmetry of economic flows whichwill bring about risks which Taiwan may not necessarily be able to cope with.

With regard to Ma Ying-jeous statement that the three links will put an end to the state of hostilities, spokesman Cheng saidthat if Ma Ying-jeou recognizes the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), would the PRC reciprocate with a recognition ofTaiwan or the Republic of China (ROC) and stop its hostile attitude? The DPP believes that a Taiwan, China, one countryon each side policy does not have the problem of creating hostility over dividing the country. Rather, it is an issue ofChinas military threat towards Taiwan and Taiwans claim to its sovereign status. Ma Ying-jeous claim that the three linkswould end hostilities is premature.

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DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen expressed her solidarity to Dalai Lama and Tibetans

Dec. 5, 2008- In response to President Ma Ying-jeous refusal on Dec. 4 of a visit by the Dalai Lama, Democratic

Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen expressed that she would warmly welcome and support the Dalai Lama.

She said that the Dalai Lama is a courageous and respectful leader as well as a symbol of hope, freedom and human rightsin Tibet. He has fought for the freedom of Tibet and raised world awareness and concerns about the difficulties andchallenges facing Tibet today. He is a world-respected religious and political leader. We welcome the Dalai Lama to visitTaiwan. If the Dalai Lama thinks my invitation would be appropriate, it would be the pleasure of both myself and theDemocratic Progressive Party to invite him for a visit.

Sharing the common values of peace, freedom, democracy and human rights, the DPP remains a long-supporting friend ofthe Tibetan people and the Tibetan Government in Exile. DPP leaders and members of parliament have providedassistance for Tibetans in exile in Taiwan in obtaining legal immigration status as refugees. They have also participatedactively in Free Tibet campaigns and events both domestically and internationally, such as the World ParliamentariansConvention on Tibet. Moreover, in 2002 the DPP administration established the quasi-official Taiwan Tibet ExchangeFoundation as a platform for promoting closer relations between Taiwan and Tibet. The Dalai Lama himself has also visitedTaiwan in 1997 and 2001.

Chairperson Tsai further stated that while other countries may fail to welcome or even rebuke the Dalai Lama based ontheir national interests, this is not the case for Taiwan. We sympathize with those countries that are suppressed,mistreated and marginalized in the international community because Taiwan faces the same difficulties. Thus, the Magovernments suppression of the Dalai Lama is particularly unacceptable.

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DPP on Taiwan Economy: Job creation first

Nov. 25, 2008- Whether it is due to the incompetence of the Ma administrations past six months of governance or theinfluence of global factors, at the six month mark of the Ma administration, various leading indicators point to a bleakoutlook for Taiwans economy,.

The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics (DGBAS) of Executive Yuan announced that in October theunemployment rate rose to 4.37%. However, we believe the real situation could be worse, since the figure doesnt includethose part-time workers, which recently has increased rapidly.

The underlying philosophy of Ma administrations economic policies has been to provide support to banks which would, inturn, support businesses, and business would then support laborers and increase employment.

In DPPs point of view, this underlying philosophy has the ordering of priorities all wrong, and what is needed currently is afocus on creating jobs, increasing employment opportunities across industries and enabling citizens of different

backgrounds to find work and reducing unemployment.

The Ma administration will issue NT$3,600 (about US$110) consumer vouchers, but what people would rather want is aNT$36,000 (US$1,090)-a-month job, DPP spokesperson Cheng Wen-tsan said.

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Cheng went on to state that when the DPP was in power, it had to deal with the SARS epidemic and the global economiceffects of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. At that time the stock market index had fallen to 3,000 and unemployment had risen, butbecause the government pushed its Diverse Employment Plan, middle- senior-aged laborers who lost their jobs were ableto return to the workforce. The unemployment problem was fundamentally addressed by creating short-term and temporarywork opportunities. Afterwards, the economy rebounded and the DPP administration reduced the unemployment rate tobelow 4%. In comparison, the Ma administration has not even been in power for half a year and the unemployment rate is

already on track to exceed 5%. This trend creates a great deal of insecurity for citizens and causes society to be pessimistictowards the future of Taiwans economy and employment opportunities.

The DPP believes that the government needs to reverse its priorities and focus on assisting workers and reducingunemployment first.

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An open letter from Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen:

Why Chen Yunlin is not welcome in Taiwan?

November 3, 2008

The KMT had exploited all its resources and communication channels to promote Chen Yunlins trip to Taiwan. Suddenly, itseems that voices of dissent no longer exists in Taiwan, while the KMT demands the illusion that all the people of Taiwanhave high expectations for the impending SEF-ARATS talks. This is however, not the truth. Taiwan is currently facing acritical moment. With the ruling administration critically restricting and purging any internal voices of opposition, appeasingChina while ignoring the sentiments of the people, it is vital for the DPP, as the main opposition party, to step up, and clearlyaffirm our serious objection. We are against Chen Yunlins visit to Taiwan at this specific time because of the following fourmain points:

1) While we have never opposed negotiations on technical and practical matters between Taiwan and China, webelieve that with the current political environment the negotiation should take place in a third country, so that Taiwanwill not have to pay the heavy social costs brought upon by opposing views. It is unfortunate that the KMT wasdetermined to set the meeting here in Taiwan in order to save their ailing approval rate by creating an illusion of apeaceful resolution between Taiwan and China.

2) While Taiwan-China relations appeared to be warming up, the people of Taiwan are becoming bankrupt. There havebeen very limited benefits with the focus of all of our economic attention and resources on China. However the risks arehigh. After the current talks in Taipei, Taiwan will have taken an even bigger step towards the One-China market. In thenear future, will Taiwan have any other option other than choosing the path of unification?

3) We strongly demand that President Ma insist Chen Yunlin referred to him as President. Additionally, he needs toclearly reiterate his campaign pledge to Chen Yunlin in person that the future of Taiwan must be decided by the 23million people of Taiwan.

4) China is deliberately creating division within Taiwan. This is clearly demonstrated by the carefully selected itineraryduring Chen Yunlins visit. Taiwans largest opposition party, the DPP was deliberately sidelined and ignored. There isno other political party in the world that would align itself with a hostile foreign party in order to damage its internal

political competition. Chen Yunlins visit to Taiwan is not an internal matter between the KMT and the ChineseCommunist Party. It is a matter of public concern for all the people of Taiwan. The DPP thus strongly demands theimmediate abolishment of the party-to-party KMT-CPP Platform, and insists that all cross-strait negotiations must beinstitutionalized and held accountable to public scrutiny, and monitored by the Legislative Yuan.

My fellow Taiwanese, starting from November 3rd, let us ensure that Taipei truly becomes the essence of Taiwan. Wemust take on the responsibility to defend our own dignity and sovereignty that our government has chosen to forgo. This isthe only path, and our shared responsibility. We need to adopt a peaceful, rational, determined, and a non-violent mannerto defend our way of life, and everything we possess.

My fellow DPP members: regardless of the situation, we cannot allow any violence to take place. Democracy is the DPPsonly weapon, and peace is the DPPs only method. This is my sole request and order.

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DPP Polls

I. October 2008 Survey conducted by DPP Survey Center

Date: October 27-28Sample size: 1288 (sampling error: 2.79%)

1. About the October 25th rally: 48.7% of respondents said its objective was to express peoples voice and opinionswhile 33.1% said the rally was to create social division and conflicts.

2. Whether President Ma Ying-jeou made too many concessions on Taiwans sovereignty to China: 54.2% agreedwhile 34.8% disagreed.

3. Satisfaction rate for Ma Ying-jeous administrations performance: 22.6% answered they were satisfied withgovernments performance while 71.2% answered they are not satisfied.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. 2008 Chinas Public Image in Taiwan

Public survey conducted by the DPP Survey Center

Date: December 23-24, 2008

Sample size: 1105, Sampling error: 3.0% at the 95% confidence level,

Sampling method: random-digit-dialing (last 2 digit) Weighted value: age, gender, area of residence

1. One word to describe China

Friendly 32.2% Hostile 56.8%Liberal/Progressive 26.1% Conservative 67.9%

Democratic 8.9% Autocratic 85.1%

Conscientious 13.9% Black-hearted 74.8%

Developed 45.0% Less-developed 46.2%

Publicspirited 9.0% Selfish 81.0%

Trustworthy 15.3% Hypocritical and Cunning 70.6%

2. Ties between Taiwan and China

Taiwan and China belong to the same country: 2.7%

Taiwan and China belong to the same ethnic group: 36.4%

Taiwan and China have the same culture: 28.1%

Taiwan and China are not related at all: 28.4%

[Note] Among pan-green supporters, 48% agreed that Taiwan and China are not related at all. Among pan-bluesupporters, 47.2% and 34.4% of middle voters agreed that Taiwan and China belong to same ethnic group.

3. Taiwanese and Chinese are.

Neighbors: 29.3%

Foreigners: 27.1%

Compatriots: 37.1%

Fellow citizens: 1.5%

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[Note] 78.2% of pan-green supporters and 58.4% of middle voters answered that Chinese are neighbors orforeigners while 55% of pan-blue supporters answered that Chinese are compatriots.

4. Regarding whether it is appropriate that cross-strait policymaking is done by party to

party (i.e. through KMT/CCP Forum)

55.8% respondents said that it is not appropriate while 34.6% said it is appropriate.

[Note] 87% of pan-green supporters and 59% of middle voters answered not appropriate

5. Regarding participation of the opposition party in the cross-strait policymaking process:

76% of respondents agreed that the ruling party should consult and reach consensus with the oppositionparty before starting negotiation with Chinese government, while 19.1% disagree.

6. Regarding who is the key person deciding the direction of the cross-strait policy

President Ma Ying-Jeou (): 45.6%

Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (): 23.1%

Current KMT chairperson Wu Poh-hsiung ():14.4%

[Note] Compared to the poll during the SEF-ARATS Meeting in November 2008, the percentage of those whobelieved that President Ma is in charge of cross-strait policy marking decreased slightly.

7. Regarding whether the current open-door cross-strait policy will be beneficial to

Taiwans economic development

48.7% of respondents answered yes, while 48.7% said no.

[Note] Compared to the poll during the contaminated milk crisis, the yes figure increased by 5%.

8. Regarding whether the government has set up complementary measures for its

cross-strait policy

65.8% of respondents said no, while 24.7% said yes

[Note] Comparied to the poll during the SEF-ARATS meeting, the yes figure is down by 4%.

9. Regarding the public trust in the Ma administrations handling of cross-strait issues with

the Chinese government

50.4% of respondents said they do not trust the Ma administration while 44.3% said they do.

[Note] Compared to the poll during the 1025 Rally, the trust figure is down by 6%.

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dpp newsletter nov-dec2008

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