Is This Merely the Tip of the Iceberg?

Is This Merely the Tip of the Iceberg?
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 17, 2008

Not long ago, Chen Shui-bian self-righteously denied that he had any overseas bank accounts. But soon afterwards, the Swiss Ministry of Justice sent a letter to the ROC requesting information. Chen Shui-bian's overseas account names and account numbers were exposed, and Chen belatedly admitted that he did indeed have overseas bank accounts. Not long ago, the DPP party hierarchy was still "affirming" Chen Shui-bian's courage and willingness to face justice. Soon afterwards, confronted by Green Camp supporters' wrath and denunciations, the DPP pressured A Bian and A Tseng to resign from the party. But what good are these belated apologies and disclaimers?

Chen Shui-bian issued a cursory apology. The DPP made a single page statement. But how much evil can an apology and a statement compensate for, this late in the day? The DPP party hierarchy lined up in a row. It bowed to the public. It denounced Chen Shui-bian in harsher terms than the Blue Camp. But how much evil can lining up, bowing, and denouncing Chen compensate for, this late in the day?

Rewind and replay the past eight years. Do they not seem like some kind of absurd farce? When Chen Shui-bian stood on a podium inciting a war of reunification vs. independence, solemnly vowing to "rectify" the name of the nation, to author a new "Taiwanese" constitution, and to hold a plebiscite for Taiwan independence, he was busy setting up dozens of secret overseas bank accounts. When Chen Shui-bian provoked Blue vs. Green polarization, tore society in two, and accused others of "selling out Taiwan," he was busy transferring vast sums of money into these same accounts. Review Chen Shui-bian's high-minded declarations over the past eight years, at all the vows he made with head raised high and chest thrust out. Then compare them with his greed, corruption, and endless lies. Were his victims really limited to Green Camp supporters alone? Everyone on Taiwan paid a price. A price that can hardly be considered trivial.

At a time like this the hearts of diehard Green Camp supporters must be colder than ice. Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen has been running hither and thither, in a desperate attempt to raise funds -- one hard-earned dollar after another, gathered from supporters, many of whom worked hard for their meager income. Some have donated their life savings, only to make the horrifying discovery that their hard-earned donations were merely a pittance compared to what A Bian has in any one of his overseas accounts.

Assume for the moment that these vast sums actually were "leftover campaign funds." How dare Chen Shui-bian desposit them in his own family's overseas accounts, and leave nothing to the near bankrupt DPP? How many people must donate money and time to wage an election campaign? How many people must fight shoulder to shoulder for a common cause? A Bian would rather watch as the DPP's finances dwindle, and as diehard supporters contribute their life savings, all the while depositing "leftover campaign funds" into his secret accounts. Needless to say, the DPP has been forced to cancel all its fund-raising dinners. How will the Democratic Progressive Party ever again be able to ask people for campaign contributions?

Fund-raising difficulties are one thing. The most embarrassing problem for the DPP is how to restore its once clean image. While Chen Shui-bian was blasting the KMT for treating the national treasury as its party treasury, he was establishing his own little overseas exchequer. When Chen Shui-bian was vowing to fight for Taiwan, he was using all sorts of pretexts to amass a personal fortune. Given the ugly reality, is it really enough for the DPP to disown Chen? For the past eight years, from top to bottom, DPP officials rallied to the defense of their corrupt leader. How many meetings did they convene? How many press conferences did they hold? How many dissenters did they denounce? How many people did they drag down with them? How many supporters sweated and wept -- all for naught? How many Blue vs. Green confrontations took place -- for no reason? How many scars are waiting to be healed? All so that Chen and his family could accumulate hundreds of millions of dollars in their overseas accounts.

Do not assume that only the DPP has suffered, and that only Green Camp supporters have been betrayed. Everyone on Taiwan has paid a price. A national leader who rose to power by trumpeting his honesty and integrity, turned out to be greedy and corrupt beyond belief. A political party that won the public trust by trumpteting its honesty and integrity, defended a corrupt leader to the bitter end. During the entire process, not one person stepped forward to uphold right and wrong, or condemn those responsible. Who will ever again believe the repeated assurances of political figures? Who will ever again believe the noble declarations of any political party? Who will not suspect that behind these assurances and aspirations, lurk calculation and greed?

The public on Taiwan was just beginning to feel proud of the Republic of China's democratic achievements, when A Bian and his family's record of wrongdoing made it feel ashamed. This shameful page is destined to remain an indelible part of Asia's history. Future discussions of global corruption will forever note this period in Taiwan's history.

Most saddening of all, this may be only the beginning. Further investigation has uncovered one scandal after another. Mounting evidence shows these were not merely "leftover campaign funds," and that the source of the funds is even more shocking. What has been uncovered so far is merely the tip of the iceberg. More accomplices, more incidents, and more evidence are coming to light. We can now say that the damage inflicted and the humiliation suffered is not over. More surprises and more embarrassments await.

這會不會只是冰山的一角？
2008-08-17
中國時報

前一刻，阿扁還在義正詞嚴的否認他在海外擁有任何帳戶；後一刻，瑞士司法部來函要求調查了，帳戶名稱號碼也全都曝光了，阿扁終於全承認了！前一刻，民進黨中央還軟調的「肯定」陳水扁勇敢面對司法；後一刻，面對綠營支持者的群情激憤、罵聲連連，才趕緊柔性規勸扁珍兩人主動退黨！問題是，這遲來的道歉，遲來的切割，還能挽回些什麼呢？

這個時候，阿扁一聲道歉，一紙退黨聲明，能抵消掉他多少惡行呢？這個時候，民進黨高層全體列隊向國人一鞠躬，競相拿比藍營更凶狠的語言去罵扁，又能喚回什麼呢？

倒帶過去八年，像不像一齣極盡反諷的荒謬劇？當陳水扁在台前不斷掀起統獨大戰，法相莊嚴的倡言正名、制憲、公投等口號之際，他也正在海外秘密開設數個私人帳戶；當陳水扁不停的擴大藍綠對立，撕裂台灣社會，甚至聲嘶力竭的指控他人賣台之際，他也正在一筆筆的將大筆的款項，陸續移轉到這些帳戶。將阿扁過去八年來所有冠冕堂皇的宣示，所有抬頭挺胸的誓言整理一下，再對照他貪瀆、說謊的種種行徑，受到傷害的，難道只有綠營的支持者嗎？整個台灣為他付出代價，還能算小嗎？

試問在此刻，綠營的所有死忠支持者，如何可能不心寒？當蔡英文主席到處奔走辛苦募款，一塊錢一塊錢會聚支持者的血汗錢，有人捐出自己辛苦打拚的微薄所得，甚至還有人是拿出全部的積蓄，到此刻才駭人的發現，這些辛苦會聚的數額，甚至還不及阿扁海外任何一個帳戶的零頭！

就算這些鉅額款項確實都是「競選結餘款」吧，陳水扁怎麼好意全部納入自己家人的海外帳戶，一塊錢都不願幫助已經瀕臨破產的民進黨？打一場選戰，需要多少人出錢出力，需要多少人共同打拚？阿扁寧可眼睜睜看著民進黨財務吃緊，看著死忠支持者捐出僅有的家當，卻大筆大筆的將所謂「選舉結餘款」全納入自己私人的口袋；不用說此刻的民進黨所有的募款餐會全辦不下去，未來的時日民進黨還怎麼向人民伸手呢？

募款困難都還事小，最難堪的是民進黨將如何再重拾昔日的清廉形象？當陳水扁不斷痛批昔日的國民黨如何的國庫通黨庫，他自己卻在搭建他在海外的「小金庫」；當陳水扁口口聲聲起誓要為台灣打拚，卻在同時利用各種名目會聚累積他個人的私產！這個嚴酷的事實，請問民進黨只須切割就算了事？過去八年，為了捍衛這位「貪腐」的領袖，民進黨從上到下，發動過多少集會？開過多少記者會？為多少人扣過帽子？又牽托過多少人？多少事？多少支持者的汗水與淚水被糟蹋？多少藍綠對抗被莫名的挑起？多少被撕裂的傷痕到現在都無法抹平？換得的代價，就是他與家人在海外會聚億萬家財！

不要以為這回只有民進黨受傷，只有綠營的支持者會感受失望難過，整個台灣都為這一個人給賠進去了！一個靠清廉標榜而崛起的國家領導人，竟然會貪婪到令人瞠目結舌；一個藉清廉標榜而受民眾期待的政黨，竟然就一路捍衛著這位「貪腐」領袖到最後一刻。這期間沒有一個人衝著大事大非站出來指責過，請問未來誰還會相信政治人物的再三保證？誰還會相信政黨的任何崇高訴求？誰會不懷疑在這些保證與訴求的背後，暗藏著貪婪的算計？

我們不得不說，台灣的民主成就，都還來不及讓台灣人感到驕傲，就已讓阿扁一個人、一家人的記錄，面臨集體蒙羞！在台灣民主發展史上，甚至在整個亞洲民主發展的歷史記錄上，這一頁已經註定抹不掉，所有未來討論全球貪腐的論述中，台灣永遠都會被記上這一筆！

而最令人難過與無奈的是，這一切可能只是剛剛才開始，待調查後真相一樁樁、一件件的陸續出土，當越來越多證據挑明這不只是「競選結餘款」，而是還有更駭人聽聞的來源；當一路調查下去發現這還只是冰山的一角，還有更多牽連在裡面的人事物陸續將被揭露，那麼我們只能說，台灣所蒙受的傷害與羞辱還沒結束，更大的驚訝與難堪，還在後頭呢！