VZCZCXYZ0010
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #3242/01 2620934
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 190934Z SEP 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2206
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5672
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6885

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 003242 
 
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, 
DOS INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT, CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS 
 
 
¶1. Summary: As the campaign to oust President Chen Shui-bian stayed 
in the Taiwan media's spotlight September 19, news coverage also 
focused on the new legislative session, which began today; clashes 
that broke out between pro-Chen and anti-Chen protesters in 
Kaohsiung Monday; and the imported fresh spinach from the U.S. said 
to be contaminated with E.Coli.  The pro-independence "Liberty 
Times," Taiwan's largest circulating daily, ran a banner headline on 
page four that read "Red Plans Besiege the Presidential Office On 
Double Ten Day; Green to Counterattack by Expanding Support for 
Nativism." 
 
¶2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an analysis in the 
pro-status quo "China Times" discussed the possibility of whether 
elites in the Green camp will join the campaign to oust President 
Chen in the wake of the high-profile "Oust Bian" parade on September 
¶15.  An analysis in the pro-unification "United Daily News" 
speculated on a possible alliance between former President Lee 
Teng-hui, Vice President Annette Lu, and Legislative Yuan President 
Wang Jin-pyng to confront President Chen.  An editorial in the 
limited-circulation, pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan 
News," on the other hand, discussed the State Department's 
International Religious Freedom Report, saying human rights should 
be Asia's common language.  An opinion piece by DPP Chairman Yu 
Shyi-kun in the limited-circulation, pro-independence, 
English-language "Taipei Times" urged the international community to 
consider Taiwan "an asset for democratic enlargement and give it 
firm support against China's threats."  End summary. 
 
¶3. Campaign to Oust President Chen Shui-bian 
 
A) "From Siege of the City to Siege of the Presidential Office, Shih 
is Intensifying Pressure; Can Bian Stand it?" 
 
Journalist Lo Ju-lan noted in an analysis in the pro-status quo 
"China Times" [circulation: 400,000] (9/19): 
 
"... When it comes to the [mounting] public sentiments as evidenced 
on the [mass movement] on September 15, the prosecutors' findings 
will be the key for political elites in the Green camp to decide 
whether they want to oust Bian.  The Presidential Office and some 
pro-independence seniors, on the other hand, also started to claim 
in public that Bian should not step down even if [First Lady] Wu 
Shu-chen is indicted.  The Presidential Office is hoping to use such 
a modus operandi to block the channels that those Green elites may 
adopt to oust Bian.  It is noteworthy, however, that Bian's modus 
operandi is constantly to change and revise his stories about the 
SOGO Department Store gift certificates case and the special account 
for affairs of state case, which is the main reason why he has 
completely lost public support.  If he changes his remarks about 
whether he should step down again as the case develops, it will 
perhaps trigger more outrage from the public and therefore 
accumulate stronger energy for mass movements.  In addition, if 
Bian, in an attempt to secure his position, continues to make 
mistakes such as ordering the Green camp to mobilize more crowds, as 
he did on September 16, the Green heavyweights will prefer to draw a 
line between themselves and him. ... 
 
"Right now, the rising anti-Bian public sentiment has become a 
voting issue, to which anyone in the Green camp aspiring to run for 
the 2008 presidential election has to pay attention.  The DPP's 
survival is of essential importance to these persons' future 
political careers, and their concerns deepened in the wake of the 
mass protest march on September 15. ..." 
 
B) "Bian's Powerful Manipulation Makes it Difficult for Lee, Lu and 
Wang to Form Alliance" 
 
Journalist Ho Ming-kuo said in an analysis in the pro-unification 
"United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000] (9/19): 
 
"President Chen Shui-bian insists on staying on in his position, 
while the campaign to oust Bian is gaining more and more momentum. 
The direction of the three heavyweights, Lee Teng-hui, Annette Lu, 
and Wang Jin-pyng, is believed to be the key influencing future 
political developments.  There are even people constantly 
speculating on the possibility of joining these three powers in 
forming a new political partnership and opening up a new political 
situation.  But under the powerful manipulation of Bian, chances are 
slim for these powers to join forces at this moment. ... 
 
"When it comes to political manipulation, Lee, Lu, and Wang must all 
keep a certain space for mobilizing possible threats against Bian in 
order to create more favorable conditions for their political 
futures. This explains why, over the past few months, President 
Chen's team kept on releasing messages about appointing Wang as the 
next premier and showing extraordinary courtesy to Lu.  The 
movements to oust Bian and to support him are both in high gear now; 
neither has showed any sign of stopping, and both act like two 
 
trains that are ready to crash into each other.  In the meantime, 
they are accumulating energy for the future.  What is most important 
is that heavyweights in both the ruling and opposition parties are 
seizing this opportunity to try to press Bian.  But Bian's recent 
remarks show he has no intention to give up so early.  As a result, 
at present there seems to be no resolution to the prevailing 
sentiments of confrontation." 
 
¶4. DOS International Religious Freedom Report 
 
"Human Rights Should Be Asia's Common Language" 
 
The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation: 
20,000] editorialized (9/19): 
 
"In its just-released 2006 Report on International Religious 
Freedom, the United States State Department has listed China as one 
of the countries with the worst records, naming the People's 
Republic of China among 'countries of particular concern,' along 
with Burma, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and 
Vietnam. ...  In recent years, the PRC government has been very 
flexible in its use of international politics and market 
opportunities as cards to play with the U.S. and other international 
players.  In apparent consideration of China's market opportunities 
and Beijing's strategic role in helping the George W. Bush 
administration fight its 'war on terror,' Washington has refrained 
from sufficiently pushing the PRC to improve human rights 
conditions. ... 
 
"As PRC leaders promote the Beijing Olympics as a showcase of the 
country's social and economic progress and a symbol of China's 
greater international recognition, it will be interesting to see if 
the international community will seriously scrutinize the PRC 
regime's actions in relation to basic rights protection.  So far 
Beijing's progress, as reflected in the U.S. State Department's 
annual reports on human rights and on the September 15 report on 
religious freedom, are far from sanguine.  In contrast, the USSD 
report related that Taiwan's constitution provides for freedom of 
religion and, more importantly, affirmed that the Taiwan 
'authorities generally respected this right in practice'  and that 
'authorities at all levels sought to protect this right in full and 
did not tolerate its abuse, either by official or private actors.' 
We believe that Taiwan should take a more proactive stance in 
pointing out China's notorious records on human rights and the 
similarities of Beijing's move to suppress the human rights of 
Taiwan's people by attempting to impose its 'one China' principle 
and by its blocking our rightful participation in the international 
community, including in the United Nations and the World Health 
Organization. ..." 
 
¶5. Cross-Strait Relations 
 
"China Sans Democracy Is a China Sans Peace" 
 
DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun opined in an opinion piece in the 
pro-independence, English-language "Taipei Times" [circulation: 
30,000] (9/19): 
 
"The question of whether China's rise represents an opportunity or a 
threat to the world has been a topic of heated debate. ... If the 
KMT wins the 2008 presidential election, I venture to predict that 
the influence of Chinese nationalism will cause the KMT leadership 
to move toward a more centered position between China and the US, 
and weaken the relationship between Taiwan and Japan.  This would 
not only mean that Taiwan will move toward China politically, but 
also and more importantly that democracy in Taiwan would regress in 
the same way it has regressed in Hong Kong, leading people to start 
doubting their faith in democracy.  ... 
 
"Taiwan's experience shows that a growing, undemocratic and 
authoritarian China will wield economic power to damage the 
democratic system of another country.  If it can hurt Taiwan, it can 
of course do the same to other nations.  I believe that China is 
working to gradually erode the foundations of the alliance of 
democratic nations established by the US. ...  The international 
community should therefore consider Taiwan as an asset for 
democratic enlargement and give it firm support against China's 
threats and the crisis China is creating in Taiwan." 
 
YOUNG