Tsai Ing-wen's Gratitude toward Chen Shui-bian

Tsai Ing-wen's Gratitude toward Chen Shui-bian
United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC) 
A Translation 
June 7, 2016

Executive Summary: Yesterday Taichung Prison officials announced that that Chen Shui-bian's “attendance” at a June 4 fundraising dinner did not violate the terms of his release. In other words, Chen will probably continue to enjoy his "medical parole". This comes as no surprise, given the “box seat” provided him earlier by the Ministry of Justice. Add to this Tsai spokesman Li Chun-yi's dinner speech thanking Chen for “taking into consideration the big picture”. The picture should be crystal clear.

Full Text Below:

Yesterday Taichung Prison officials announced that that Chen Shui-bian's “attendance” at a June 4 fundraising dinner did not violate the terms of his release. In other words, Chen will probably continue to enjoy his "medical parole". This comes as no surprise, given the “box seat” provided him earlier by the Ministry of Justice. Add to this Tsai spokesman Li Chun-yi's dinner speech thanking Chen for “taking into consideration the big picture”. The picture should be crystal clear.

The June 4 fundraising dinner was packed. Over 2000 Chen fans attended. Everyone who was anyone in the green camp was present. Legislative Yuan President Su Chia-chuan, Chen Chu, Lai Ching-teh and other mayors and county chiefs, as well as green camp talking heads, all showed up. Li Chun-yi apologized to Chen on behalf of Tsai Ing-wen, saying the new government was in an awkward position, therefore could not attend. He expressed gratitude, saying "As long as Chen needs our help, we are here for him". Taiwan independence elder Koo Kuan-min boasted that "The world is now ours". Suppose Chen had taken part in the dinner proceedings? Would anyone have dared to arrest and detain him?

At first Taichung Prison officials warned Chen that if he traveled north to Taipei, his medical parole would be revoked. Later they allowed him to return to his Minsheng East Road home. Eventually they allowed him to attend the fundraising dinner. These three changes revealed the degree to which the rule of law was set back as Chen Shui-bian tested the will of prison officials. It showed that Justice Minister Chiu Tai-san's incantation, "We respect the decisions made by Taichung Prison officials", was mere lip service. In fact, under pressure from Taiwan independence zealots and Ko Chien-min, even the Ministry of Justice was force to bow before politics. Even Tsai Ing-wen was forced to send a representative to express her gratitude. How could lowly Taichung Prison officials possibly withstand this sort of pressure?

When Chen Shui-bian sat in his “box seat” and his fan club regaled him with tributes, he shattered the first window pane in the new government's “rule of law” showcase. When Tsai Ing-wen expressed gratitude towards Chen Shui-bian for “considering the big picture”, she shattered a second window pane. And this was merely the beginning. Chen lost power as a consequence of political corruption, and was imprisoned for his crime. The DPP has never apologized to the people of Taiwan for this. Now that it has returned to power, the DPP is kowtowing before Chen and thanking him. What must the public be feeling as it gazes upon such a spectacle?

The most flagrant example of Taiwan independence arrogance was Koo Kuan-min's boast that "The world is now ours", the premise being that once one is in power, one can do as one pleases, after all, who will stop me? Koo Kuan-min sees himself as a conquering hero. He has revealed his feudalistic mentality. If someone of his ilk, who makes no distinction between public and private, can threaten or even hijack the new government, the harm inflicted upon Taiwan will be endless. Even more nauseating were the green camp talking heads who blasted Chiu Tai-san for being “ungrateful for Chen Shui-bian's promotion." They care only about power. They care nothing about the rule of law or moral standards. Politically their appeal is limited to the home market. How can they possibly advance Taiwan's democracy?

Viewed positively, Tsai Ing-wen's expression of gratitude to Chen Shui-bian involved practical considerations. Chen refrained from making trouble during the election process. He did not hinder her, thereby enabling her to win handily. He was willing to abide by the "three noes". He did not directly participate the dinner ceremonies. He did not openly challenge the law. He took into consideration the new government's awkward position. Viewed negatively however, the president was handed a new mandate. Yet she is unable to boldly follow the law. She must express humble gratitude toward her corrupt predecessor. She must offer quid pro quos to Taiwan independence extremists before she can follow the law. She must send a representative to a fundraising dinner to appease Chen fans. A government such as this has already undermined its image, compromised its principles, and revealed its cowardice.

In short, Tsai Ing-wen failed to use her mandate to draw a bright line between herself and Taiwan independence extremists. She succumbed instead to their pressure, and publicly surrendered her authority. This was her first wrong move. Therefore when Taiwan independence extremists demand a presidential pardon for Chen Shui-bian, Tsai Ing-wen will lose the support of moderate voters. This will be the next major challenge to her administration.

In fact, "The world is now ours" sounds more like something a Mafia capo would say. Tsai Ing-wen must guard against this tendency to inflate the importance of the new government and the ruling DPP. She must not allow the government or political parties to walk in the shadow of organized crime. DPP legislators plan to pass an "Amnesty Law" tailor made for Chen Shui-bian. Once they succeed, the new government's highly touted transitional justice and judicial reform will sputter to a halt. In any case, Tsai Ing-wen must not deal with Chen Shui-bian the way that Lin Chuan dealt with Sunflower Student Movement rioters, by withdrawing the charges against them. She must not undermine the credibility of the justice system by pandering to the demands of a few. The result is certain to be self-inflicted injury.

解讀蔡英文對扁的「感謝」
2016-06-07 聯合報

台中監獄昨日評估陳水扁參加六四募款餐會的表現，認為未違反相關規定；換言之，扁應該可以維持現有的「保外就醫」待遇。此一結論，其實是想當然耳的結局，這從稍早法務部給予他「設包廂」的通融，加上當天餐會上李俊毅代表蔡英文致詞感謝扁「顧全大局」，即可一目了然。

六四募款餐會當夜爆桌，二千多挺扁人士參與；綠營更是「群賢畢至」，立法院長蘇嘉全、陳菊、賴清德等縣市首長、乃至親綠名嘴全都到齊。李俊毅代蔡英文致詞時，對陳水扁考慮新政府立場而未能親臨餐會現場的「委屈」表示感謝，並稱「只要能幫助扁的需要，我們都願意協助」。獨派大老辜寬敏更在餐會中放言，「現在是我們的天下」，如果扁參加餐會，有人敢把他捉去關嗎？

從最初台中監獄警告陳水扁北上將遭取消保外就醫，到後來放寬為准許北上返回民生東路老家，到最後准許以「三不」原則在餐會旁的包廂會客，這三部曲的變化，顯示台灣的法治防線已在陳水扁的測試下一步步後退。這同時顯示，法務部長邱太三口口聲聲「尊重中監」的說法，無非飾詞而已。事實上，在獨派的施壓和柯建銘的穿梭下，就連法務部也不得不向政治低頭，就連蔡英文都得派代表致詞感謝，這股壓力又豈是小小的中監所能抵擋？

於是，當陳水扁坐在餐會旁的包廂內接受扁迷致敬，新政府的法治櫥窗已經被他打破了一扇；當蔡英文派代表感謝陳水扁「顧全大局」，形同她自己又拿石頭砸壞了一扇。而這些，都只是剛開始而已。陳水扁因貪腐失政入獄，民進黨從來未曾為此向台灣人民道歉；而如今，政權方才失而復得，民進黨卻反而要向他頂禮叩謝，這看在民眾眼裡，又是什麼滋味？

最赤裸裸的是辜寬敏那句「現在是我們的天下」，彷彿一朝大權在握，咱們自己人要幹什麼就幹什麼，誰能阻擋？辜寬敏把自己當成「得天下」的功臣，是其封建思想使然；但是，如果像他這種目無公私界際的人以此要脅新政府，而政府竟然也為其所挾持，那對台灣的傷害將沒完沒了。更令人反胃的是，竟有親綠名嘴在會中點名批判邱太三，指他忘記陳水扁的「提拔」。試想，像這樣眼中只有權力的取予關係，卻完全不在乎法治、道德的規範，政治只能在「家天下」的小圈圈裡轉售，台灣的民主如何進步？

從正面看，蔡英文對陳水扁的感謝，或許有一些現實涵義。例如：感謝阿扁在大選過程中沒有鬧事、沒「幫倒忙」，使她順利當選；感謝他願意配合「三不」不出席餐會，未公然率眾挑戰法律底線，顧及了新政府顏面。但反過來看，一個握有新民意的總統，若不能理直氣壯地依法行事，卻向貪腐者低聲下氣稱謝，拿執法之退讓和獨派交換條件，甚至派代表在餐會向扁迷致詞示好；這些作法，恐怕都賠上了自己的形象和原則，使新政府的施政魄力打了折扣。

簡言之，蔡英文沒有善用自己的民意支持向獨派宣示自己的界線，卻反而屈從對方的壓力，而宣告了公權力的退讓，這是她錯誤的第一步。接下來，當挺扁獨派要求「特赦」陳水扁的壓力源源湧至，蔡英文會因此失去多少中間選民的支持，將是她未來執政之路的大挑戰。

「現在是我們的天下」，這句話其實更像一個「幫派」的炫耀豪語；蔡英文恐怕要慎防這種風潮吹入新政府與民進黨，絕對不要放任政府或政黨走入幫派化陰影。民進黨立委正在串連修改《特赦法》，要為陳水扁量身定作脫身解套的條件；一旦得逞，新政府的轉型正義、司法改革等等宣示，恐怕也要付諸一炬了。無論如何，蔡英文處理陳水扁，絕不能像林全處理太陽花撤告，用損害公權力尊嚴的方式來滿足少數人的利益，結果勢必是自傷自殘。