VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #3140/01 2540930
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110930Z SEP 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2066
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5637
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6848

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 003140 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - DAVID FIRESTEIN 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: CAMPAIGN TO OUST PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN, 
GWOT 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies gave 
significant reporting and editorial coverage September 9-11 to 
former DPP Chairman Shih Ming-teh's sit-in rally to oust President 
Chen Shui-bian, which kicked off Saturday.  All the major 
Chinese-language papers carried a half-page paid announcement by KMT 
Chairman Ma Ying-jeou September 9, which was entitled "Give Taiwan a 
Clean Future!" and called on the DPP to stand forward and join other 
political parties to launch a recall of President Chen.  The 
pro-status quo "China Times" ran a front-page banner headline 
September 11 that read "If Bian Disregards Sit-in and Siege, Major 
Strike Will Be Launched in October." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the 
pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, urged the 
public to value Taiwan's democratic achievements and not to destroy 
them just to vent their personal hatred.  An editorial in the 
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" said both President Chen and the DPP 
will distance themselves from the mounting voices in Taiwan society 
and will move towards their political grave if they simplify the 
anti-graft movements as confrontations between the Blue and Green 
camps, between different ethnic groups, and between unification and 
independence.  An editorial in the pro-unification "United Daily 
News" said the movements to oust Bian are actually not the most 
severe punishment for President Chen.  The real, most severe 
punishment for Chen, the article said, would be to torture Chen and 
the DPP and put them to a slow political death until 2008.  With 
regard to the fifth anniversary of the September 11 tragedy, an 
editorial in the limited-circulation, conservative, pro-unification, 
English-language "China Post" said even the military might of the 
world's only superpower has a limit.  End summary. 
 
¶3. Campaign to Oust President Chen Shui-bian 
 
A) "Who Is the Real Killer That Has Turned Taiwan into a 
Vegetarian?" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000] 
editorialized (9/11): 
 
"... The biggest lurking danger to the stability Taiwan society now 
enjoys is the attempt to excessively politicize everything; there 
seems to be differences in political stances only, while there is no 
objective judgment between right and wrong.  ...  All politicians 
and media should cherish Taiwan's democratic achievements.  They 
should not go to extreme lengths to destroy them just to vent their 
personal hatred.  A democratic society needs no saviors or martyrs, 
and no person is so great as to be able to go beyond the laws and 
the system.  A democratic society is composed of many ordinary 
people, whose votes are of equal value.  In other words, only mutual 
respect, peaceful co-existence, and adherence to the rules of the 
game in a democracy can maintain Taiwan's democratic lifeline.  No 
matter how noble the objective of a mass protest is, if it 
encourages riots and resentment, it will result in disasters and 
calamity, as evidenced in the many lessons learned during human 
history. ..." 
 
B) "Tumbler Politician A-Bian Defeats Masters of This Nation" 
 
The mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 500,000] 
editorialized (9/11): 
 
"... Judged from the nature and members of the anti-graft movements 
over the past two days, there were many Taiwanese people from all 
walks of life joining the movements.  As a result, these movements 
are by no means confrontations between the Blue and Green camps, 
between different ethnic groups, and between unification and 
independence, as claimed by President Chen's supporters; neither are 
they struggles to usurp power, as called by A-Bian in Nauru.  If 
A-Bian and the DPP view the Taiwan people's outrage as [polarities] 
between Blue and Green, between different ethnic groups, between 
unification and independence, and a move to usurp power, they are 
just trying to deceive others and themselves, or to shift the 
people's attention.  Should this be the case, both that man and his 
party cannot tell right from wrong or black and white; they distance 
themselves from voices in society and are on their way to the grave 
of their political death.  Was the corruption of the A-Bian 
administration a made-up story?  What does it have to with Blue and 
Green, ethnic groups, or power usurpation?  It is related to nothing 
but the administration's shamelessness. ..." 
 
C) "From September 9 to December 9" 
 
The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] 
commented in an editorial (9/10): 
 
"... The campaign this time is aimed at 'ousting Bian,' but the 
public generally believe that given Chen Shui-bian's severe 
resistance and insistence that he would never step down, it will not 
 
be easy to fulfill this objective.  In reality, however, 'ousting 
Bian' may not necessarily be the most severe punishment for Chen. 
The real, most severe punishment is to torture Chen and his 
accomplice, the DPP, until 2008, put them to a slow death, and ask 
them to shoulder all the political responsibilities they are 
supposed to. 
 
"The Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral elections slated for December 9 
will be a turning point during this stage.  If the DPP suffers a 
severe defeat in the year-end Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral races, 
the strategic option for those who are anti-graft and want to oust 
Bian should no longer be to urge Chen to step down.  As long as Chen 
stays on in his position, the DPP infighting will surely escalate, 
and the party will also face mounting criticism from outside.  As a 
result, chances will be slim for the DPP to win the legislative 
elections in 2007 and the presidential election in 2008.  Until 
then, for those anti-graft and anti-Bian people, Chen's stepping 
down and the DPP's falling apart will be a double victory.  ..." 
 
 
¶4. GWOT 
 
"In the Aftermath of 9-11, American Power Has Limits" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] noted in an editorial (9/11): 
 
"... Bush was right in the assessment of the new aspect of terrorist 
warfare.  Al-Qaida, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations had 
attacked Americans before, but those attacks took place outside the 
United States.  The president was right again in sending American 
troops to Afghanistan to catch Osama bin Laden and his terrorist 
group, which the Taliban government were harboring.  But the 
al-Qaida leader could not be trapped.  The Taliban regime was 
toppled, and the United States, together with the United Kingdom, 
has to station large forces to keep peace in Afghanistan since.  In 
short, the right action was taken, albeit no success was achieved. 
...  The post-9-11 wars have failed to end the terrorist war on the 
United States.  The Islamist terrorists are expanding their war, 
which has put the world, the West in particular, under constant 
threat of suicidal attacks.  The neo-conservatives have forgotten 
the military might of the world's only superpower has a limit." 
 
YOUNG