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Viewing cable 06AITTAIPEI3231, MEDIA REACTION: CAMPAIGN TO OUST PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06AITTAIPEI3231 2006-09-18 09:03 2011-08-23 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
VZCZCXYZ5554
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #3231/01 2610903
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 180903Z SEP 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2187
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5665
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6878
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 003231 
 
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 
 
 
1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies gave 
significant coverage September 16-18 to a peaceful high-profile 
parade launched by the "Oust Bian" campaign to "besiege" the 
Presidential Office and Residence last Friday evening; and to a mass 
"Formosa Sunrise" rally initiated by the Taiwan Society on Ketagalan 
Boulevard last Saturday "in support of democracy and stability in 
Taiwan."  The pro-status quo "China Times" ran a front-page banner 
headline September 17 that read: "Mark Chen Relays: Bian Guarantees 
Completion of his Term."  The same paper also ran a banner headline 
on page two on September 18 that said "Believing That Prosecutors 
Will Likely Seal the Entire Batch of Findings, Bian Has Faith That 
He Will Not Be Pulled Down."  The pro-unification "United Daily 
News," on the other hand, front-paged the results of its latest 
survey September 17, which showed that in the wake of last Friday's 
"siege," 55 percent of those polled said they support the call for 
President Chen Shui-bian's resignation, and 56 percent said they 
hope Premier Su Tseng-chang will step forward and participate in the 
anti-corruption movement. 
 
2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the 
pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, said the 
two major mass movements conducted over the weekend demonstrated the 
diversity and tolerance of Taiwan's democratic society.  A "China 
Times" commentary, however, criticized the DPP for its decision to 
confront the people who oppose corruption and thus further isolate 
the party from the Taiwan public.  End summary. 
 
A) "Mass Movements in a Democratic Society Must Maintain Peace, 
Rationality, and Tolerance" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000] 
editorialized (9/18): 
 
"... The two large-scale mass movements [over the weekend] 
demonstrated the diversity and tolerance of the democratic society 
of Taiwan; they also symbolized the maturity of Taiwan's democracy. 
Taiwan's democracy has protected the lives, property and safety of 
the majority of the Taiwan people, offering them freedom from fear 
and from being beaten by those who hold different opinions from 
them.  Democracy pays no heed to different political parties or 
colors, and the public in a democratic society must be peaceful and 
rational.  Any careerists or media outlets that attempt to divide 
the people by colors, or to incite conflicts and confrontations just 
to gain political resources and benefits, are extremely unethical 
and will eventually be condemned by the people." 
 
B) "Other Than Supporting Bian, What Else Can the DPP Do?" 
 
Chen Fang-ming, head of National Chengchi University's Graduate 
Institute of Taiwan Literature, commented in the pro-status quo 
"China Times" [circulation: 400,000] (9/18): 
 
"... The siege on September 15 was a world-shaking incident in the 
history of [Taiwan's] democratic movements, and its historical 
significance was tantamount to that of the Formosa Incident.  This 
vast, robust wave of people power, which started with rationality 
and ended in peace, has fully demonstrated Taiwan's mature 
democratic ideals.  In the face of such a highly restrained 
gathering of people, how can the DPP authorities not carefully 
reflect on themselves and try to take public opinion into account? 
 
"The support Bian movement launched by the Taiwan Society on 
September 16 deserves our respect, too.  But the DPP's unexpected 
lift of its ban to allow the Green legislators to participate in 
such a spontaneous movement initiated by the private sector was 
naturally a move that was meant to please Bian.  When the DPP 
mobilized its supporters to fight the anti-graft campaign, it was 
akin to acknowledging that President A-Bian has lost everything. 
Since the DPP has repeatedly claimed that A-Bian is a popularly 
elected president, he is therefore a president for all the people. 
But the DPP chose to confront those people who oppose corruption, 
and such a move has turned A-Bian into a president for those who 
support him only.  This move to divide [the party from] the people 
has again exposed the crisis of the DPP's increasing isolation. 
 
"The self-isolation of A-Bian and the DPP was by no means achieved 
in one day.  Over the past six years, all the political party 
leaders have given up the desire to engage in a dialogue with 
A-Bian.  Not only the pan-Blue leaders such as Lien Chan, James 
Soong, and Ma Ying-jeou no longer want to communicate with A-Bian, 
but the former DPP chairmen such as Shih Ming-teh and Hsu Hsin-liang 
also shared nothing in common with him.  People such as Lin 
Yi-hsiung, whom all Green voters respect, and pan-Green leader Lee 
Teng-hui, likewise no longer want to have anything to do with 
A-Bian.  Given such a fact, does it mean that everyone is wrong 
except for A-Bian?  When we look around all the democratic countries 
in the world, is there any state leader that is as lonely as 
A-Bian? 
"Now A-Bian is trying very hard to draw a line between himself and 
Vice President Annette Lu.  The Taiwan Society forced Lu clearly to 
state her stance and rejected her from joining the movement to 
support Bian.  In the face of such inner struggles, A-Bian, Yu 
Shyi-kun, and even other high-ranking DPP officials all remained 
silent.  Dividing Taiwan seems not enough; the DPP is even starting 
to divide its own party.  The DPP now is no longer the party that 
people have known over the past years.  It isolates itself from the 
outside, and it isolates itself within its own party as well.  The 
DPP has lost all of its wisdom.  As long as such a state of 
isolation and division continues, even Su Tseng-chang's attempt to 
administer are doomed to failure, let alone the fact that Frank 
Hsieh and Chen Chu are both ready to run in the Taipei and Kaohsiung 
mayoral races. ..." 
 
YOUNG