Is Former President Chen a Colonial Governor under a U.S. Military Government?

Is Former President Chen a Colonial Governor under a U.S. Military Government?
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
October 12, 2009

According to the U.S. Military Court of Appeals, former President Chen Shui-bian has alleged that a U.S. Military Government has occupied Taiwan since the end of WWII, and continues to occupy Taiwan even today. He pleaded with the U.S. Military Court of Appeals to order the U.S. Military Government to instruct President Ma Ying-jeou to immediately release Chen Shui-bian and countermand his sentence of life imprisonment. His allegations were printed with black ink on white paper. Otherwise many people would have trouble believing that anyone would spout such arrant nonsense. Chen Shui-bian's latest move offers further proof that in order to escape justice, Chen is willing to do anything.
This differs from previous accounts. Chen Shui-bian did not "sue" U.S. president Barack Obama. Rather he filed a petition with the U.S. Military Court of Appeals. His argument is that according to the San Francisco Peace Treaty, Taiwan remains under United States military occupation, and its status remains undetermined even today. Therefore during his eight years as president, he was in fact an agent of the United States Military Government, he was in effect Taiwan's Chief Executive/colonial governor.

Chen Shui-bian claimed that during his two terms as president, he was aware of the existence of the U.S. Military Government, and carried out its orders. On Taiwan-related matters, the United States Military Government was "paramount," and during his two terms he often received orders from the Chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan. Now he faces political persecution. Therefore he is disclosing the existence of this U.S. Military Government to the U.S. Military Court and the world. He is calling upon this military government to come forward and protect him.

When Ah-Bian made these fantastic claims, he was not talking in his sleep. He was not speaking off the cuff. His claims were carefully drafted and formally submitted to the court. He claimed that Taiwan has secretly been occupied by a U.S. Military Government, and asked the true powers behind the throne to come forward and rescue him. Such claims from a former President of the Republic of China are absurd beyond belief, and are an affront to the dignity of the public on Taiwan.

First of all, the San Francisco Peace Treaty may not have specified who would hold sovereignty over Taiwan. But the Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty confirmed that Taiwan's sovereignty belonged to the ROC government. Moreover, Japan and the United States both granted diplomatic recognition to the Republic of China. They United States and the Republic of China may have signed a mutual defense treaty, but the U.S. never occupied, ruled, or even administered Taiwan. So where is this still active U.S. Military Government Ah-Bian speaks of? Where is this military government that has supposedly been in existence for sixty years. Where is this government that nobody has ever heard of?

If this military government that rules over Taiwan exists, where are its officials? Where does its funding come from? Have both houses of congress and the media been kept in the dark, all these years? Have successive U.S. presidents from different political parties kept it a closely guarded secret? Ah-Bian has concocted a fantasy so patently absurd, people all over the world may die laughing.

Chen Shui-bian certainly has an active imagination. That he could concoct such an incredible story, and that he is being ridiculed as a madman is a small matter. That the public on Taiwan is being humiliated along with him is not. From its very inception, the Republic of China's status as a sovereign and independent nation has remained unchanged. We may have fewer diplomatic allies. We may be squeezed by international organizations. But those are merely incidents of unfair persecution. They are not the result of any deficiencies in the terms and conditions of our national sovereignty. The Republic of China has everything required for full nationhood. It has sovereignty, territory, people, and government. It has a democratically elected legislature and government. No one can deny that we are a sovereign nation, not even a former president who spouts nonsense in his sleep.

In fact Chen Shui-bian's move was utterly obtuse, because it is something a United States Military Court could not possibly accept. It would never want the specter of a non-existent military government to emerge as an agent of influence. Even assuming Ah-Bian merely wants to generate controversy in order to win popular support, it will not work. People will merely perceive his claims as the ravings of a lunatic. It won't even be able to delay the legal proceedings against him.

The only impact it will have is to hurt the feelings of the public on Taiwan. Chen Shui-bian once pledged to "fight to safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty." Now he is claiming that he was merely the Chief Executive of the United States Military Government, that all his decisions required Uncle Sam's seal of approval. One has to wonder what happened when he infuriated Washington with his "One Country, Each Side" thesis? Did he forget to obtain Uncle Sam's approval? The public on Taiwan supported him all the way, and allowed him to become president. They allowed him to rule for two terms and eight years, to exercise immense powers and receive a generous salary and pension. Now it turns out these taxpayer dollars were paid to an agent of colonial rule? If we follow his logic, he should ask the United States to pay his salary. Why is he taking hard-earned taxpayer dollars from citizens of the Republic of China? Ah-Bian embezzled vast sums from the nation's coffers. He abused the political authority delegated to him by the public to reap huge profits via government-business collusion. Shouldn't he cough up this money?

Looking back at Chen Shui-bian's actions, we see he often resorted to any means at his disposal to achieve his own selfish ends. He sacrificed his comrades, his friends, his family confidants, and his servants without a second thought. He even sacrificed the nation's sovereignty and dignity. Even his former Democratic Progressive Party comrades cannot rationalize away his behavior. Die hard Ah-Bian hero-worshipers support him unconditionally. But has Chen Shui-bian ever demonstrated the same loyalty towards Taiwan?

Chen Shui-bian may spout nonsense. But he and his First Family accomplices in crime must still face the Republic of China justice system and be prosecuted according to the letter of the law. Chen Shui-bian may come up with a whole slew of gimmicks in the future. But the sympathy and solidarity he inspires will be less and less.

中時電子報 新聞
中國時報 　2009.10.12
社論－陳前總統是美國軍政府的行政長官？
本報訊

根據美國軍事上訴法院的資料，前總統陳水扁指稱有個美國軍政府占領台灣至今，他祈求美國軍事上訴法院下令這個美國軍政府指示馬英九總統，立即釋放陳水扁並撤銷無期徒刑判決。如果不是白紙黑字，誰相信會有人如此癡人說夢？而這些白紙黑字，更證明了陳水扁為求脫身，的確可以無所不用其極。

和之前傳出的說法不同，陳水扁並沒有「控告」美國總統歐巴馬，而是向美國軍事上訴法院提出請願。他的說法是，依據《舊金山和約》，美國在台灣行使軍事占領，迄今未變，台灣地位未定，因此八年總統任內，他其實是美國軍政府的代理人，也是實質的台灣民政長官。

陳水扁聲稱，他在擔任總統期間，知悉了美國軍政府存在的事實，也接受軍政府的命令。有關台灣之事，美國軍政府是「至高無上」的，他在任內經常接受美國在台協會主席的指示。如今他面臨政治迫害，因此向美國軍事法院及全世界披露這個美國軍政府的存在，要求軍政府出面保護他。

這些天方夜譚般的陳述，既非發自午夜囈語，也不是衝動胡扯，而是經過一番草擬撰述後正式向法院提交的。說台灣其實一直被一個祕密的美國軍政府占領至今，要求這個藏在幕後的真正主子出面救人，這種話，出自一位中華民國的前總統，不只是荒天下之大唐，更把台灣人的臉都丟光了！

首先，《舊金山和約》雖未言明將台灣主權移交給誰，但接著《中日和約》就已確定了台灣主權屬於中華民國政府，何況日本與美國都給予中華民國外交承認。美國雖然和中華民國政府簽有協防條約，卻從未占領統治過台灣，連託管都不曾，哪來的美國軍政府？而且說現在依然活躍，什麼樣的軍政府能夠既活躍至今又六十年沒人聽說過？

更何況，如果有這個治台軍政府的存在，其運作的人員、經費從何而來？國會參眾兩院與新聞界始終被蒙在鼓裡？美國不同政黨的歷屆總統也都祕而不宣？這種天方夜譚也想得出來，簡直笑掉全世界的大牙！

陳水扁的想像力實在非常人所能及，竟然編造得出如此匪夷所思又不合情理的故事來。他被人家當瘋子事小，台灣跟著一起丟臉事大。從過去到現在，我們的獨立主權國家地位始終未變，即使邦交國數目不多，被國際官方組織排擠，但那是因為受到不合理的打壓，而非我國在主權條件上有任何欠缺。主權、領土、人民、政府，台灣樣樣具備，包括由人民選舉產生的國會與政府，誰也不能否定我們是個主權國家，連前總統的癡人說夢也不能。

其實陳水扁這招笨得可以，因為美國軍事法院絕對不可能接受，遑論真要那個不存在的幽靈軍政府出面干預。即使只是想造成話題爭取聲援，都不會有效果，因為人家只會把這當成喪心病狂的胡扯，連拖延訴訟程序都做不到。

唯一的影響，是傷害了台灣人民的感情。陳水扁曾經信誓旦旦，說要為維護台灣主權而戰，結果現在聲稱自己只是美國軍政府的民政長官，以前做決策還要聽老美的，當年講「一邊一國」時美國氣得跳腳，不知是否忘了請示？台灣人民一路呵護他支持他，讓他能當上總統，兩任八年裡享有優渥薪酬強大權力，卸任後還有終身禮遇，這些民脂民膏，結果都付給了一位治台代理人？如果照他的邏輯，那麼他應該跟美國討薪水才對，幹嘛拿台灣納稅人的血汗錢？而且扁家還Ａ走國庫那麼多錢，外帶利用人民授予的政治權力從政商關係中謀取暴利。這些錢，如今更應該吐出來！

回顧陳水扁的所作所為，往往為達目的不擇手段，為了自己的利益，犧牲同志朋友家臣天下人都在所不惜，而今連台灣主權尊嚴都遭到他的羞辱，昔日民進黨同志，此時恐也無法再為他辯護。而始終情義相挺的死忠扁迷們，有看到阿扁對台灣又是如何有情有義嗎？

無論陳水扁再怎麼癡人說夢，他、以及第一家庭成員的貪瀆行為，都一樣要由中華民國的司法體系來依法處理。也許將來陳水扁還會想出各種奇招怪招，但他能鼓動的同情與認同，已經愈來愈少了。