Former President Chen Shui-bian, now in prison, was released temporarily as he is suffering from numerous health problems due to his confinement.Rejecting Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu’s (曾勇夫) claim that psychiatric medication was administered to former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) with Chen’s consent, Chen’s family and his office yesterday demanded an explanation of why he was given the medication without his knowledge.The both the former President's spokesperson and the Chen family deny that Chen ever asked for such medication or knew he was being given it.
The Formosan Association for Human Rights, one of the oldest pro-Taiwan organizations, issued a statement calling for the "inhuman" conditions of Chen's imprisonment to be mitigated. An excerpt that describes his situation:
After being imprisoned over 1,200 days, Chen’s health has begun to rapidly deteriorate. The doctors at Taoyuan General Hospital attribute his poor health to long-term deprivation of sunlight, lack of exercise, and an inactive life style. Chen’s son, Chen Chih-chung, pointed out that his father has been jailed under an inhuman conditions and was allowed only 30 minutes each day for outdoor activities. Earlier this year, for nine straight days, he was even denied his daily exercise time. Unlike other inmates, who can work eight hours a day in prison factories, his father is essentially confined to a damp and undersized cell of about 70 square feet, 24 hours a day. Chen is not even allowed a desk and is forced to write on the floor. Such conditions are a direct violation of the minimum requirements for prisoners sanctioned by the UN, which requires that “every prisoner who is not employed in outdoor work shall have at least one hour of suitable exercise in the open air daily if the weather permits.” Ironically, the Minister of Justice in Taiwan cited security concerns as well as respect for a former head of state for barring Chen from working in the prison factory.The FAHR statement also said that prostate cancer was discovered during his visit to the hospital for the emergency heart treatment. I've included the FAHR statement at the end of the post.
__________________
Daily Links:
- The Badlands of A-lien...
- Sponge Bear visits home in Xiluo with pics and commentary.
- Montana shuts down Taiwan trade office, mayhap in exchange for access to China
- Chinese journalists complain about restrictions on their reporting in Taiwan.
- New grads expect slightly lower salaries.
- Taiwan's elderly suffer from changing social mores.
- Tobie O in an Aussie paper on betel nut girls.
- Taiwan papers go wild as Canadian paper says Taiwan is cyclist paradise. Yes, but not because of the often pointless and stupid government-installed bike paths.
全美台灣人權協會
Formosan Association for Human Rights
3-10-2012
Formosan Association for Human Rights (FAHR) condemns the inhuman imprisonment conditions of the wrongfully jailed former President of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian. Chen, jailed since November 11, 2008, convicted on politically motivated corruption charges, was granted a temporary release from Taipei Prison on March 6, 2012 for a medical checkup at Taoyuan General Hospital because of his frail health. During the checkup, he was diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome and significantly reduced blood flow to the heart, a potentially fatal condition. Taipei Prison had ignored Chen’s repeated requests for a hospital checkup for a month until being pressured by 13 legislators from opposition parties. Even so, the prison had planned to return him back to the prison on the same day after the checkup. Chen is currently in the intensive care unit after undergoing an urgent cardiac catheterization procedure on March 7. A prostate tumor was also found during the checkup, among other undisclosed conditions.
FAHR urges Taipei Prison, the Ministry of Justice, and Presidential Office of Taiwan to set aside politics and to grant Chen a hospital stay sufficient for a thorough checkup and treatment until a full recovery is made. FAHR also calls on the opposition parties and people of Taiwan not to tolerate such inhuman treatment of the former president by the current Kuomintang government in Taiwan.
After being imprisoned over 1,200 days, Chen’s health has begun to rapidly deteriorate. The doctors at Taoyuan General Hospital attribute his poor health to long-term deprivation of sunlight, lack of exercise, and an inactive life style. Chen’s son, Chen Chih-chung, pointed out that his father has been jailed under an inhuman conditions and was allowed only 30 minutes each day for outdoor activities. Earlier this year, for nine straight days, he was even denied his daily exercise time. Unlike other inmates, who can work eight hours a day in prison factories, his father is essentially confined to a damp and undersized cell of about 70 square feet, 24 hours a day. Chen is not even allowed a desk and is forced to write on the floor. Such conditions are a direct violation of the minimum requirements for prisoners sanctioned by the UN, which requires that “every prisoner who is not employed in outdoor work shall have at least one hour of suitable exercise in the open air daily if the weather permits.” Ironically, the Minister of Justice in Taiwan cited security concerns as well as respect for a former head of state for barring Chen from working in the prison factory.
It is apparent that these inhuman imprisonment conditions have lead to the rapid deterioration of former President Chen’s health. FAHR condemns such inhuman and unlawful treatment of any prisoner, let alone a former President of Taiwan, twice elected to that office through democratic processes. FAHR also calls for international support for former President Chen’s basic human rights for proper medical treatment and, more importantly, for an appeal of wrongful imprisonment after he regains his health.
_______________________
[Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums! Delenda est, baby.
Truly sad. I'm almost done "Formosa Betrayed" (thanks for the link!) and it sickens me to see this thing happening. Sure he robbed the cookie jar, but not on a Lafayette scale, just a few fapiaos and suitcases of $31 bills. I often say this is wrong, but then realise I'd revel in seeing this same article with George Bush (either...don't forget Iran Contra), Dick "shoot 'em in the face" Cheney, Donny Rumsfeld, Hank Kissinger, Jon Corzine, or Lloyd "lords work" Blankfein being replaced for the words Chen Shui-bian. You can bet they wouldn't have this tough a time even if they were in pound me in the ass jail. What can 99%ers do to help this poor guy?
ReplyDelete(1) Before people get sick, they are "healthy", that is, healthy people will become sick sometime.
ReplyDelete(2) To associate Chen's deteriorating health with his jail time might be human nature, but then the next question is: do all prisoners get sick after being jailed?
Chen deserves health care, no less, but also no more.
It's no secret that the blue camp has double standard toward Chen and Ma, deep blue hates his guts. At the same time the staunch Chen supporters seem to put him ahead of Taiwan. One of the his mouthpiece Miss Huang Yuay Sui (once presidential candidate) said: how can we save Taiwan if we can not save Abian? (So bye bye Taiwan??) Another one, Chen Jao Zhi, (the pharmacist) , when Abian was in office, said: I am willing to be called "Chinese" since Abian is the president of ROC.
In my personal opinion, Chen has dissolved all the momentum toward Taiwan's Statehood gathered before 2000. Independence and Statehood has been degraded to his election tactic.
He might not be truly corrupted, but his gesture of wiring money to offshore account is hardly selfless, as his supporters claim" fund for Statehood". Most likely he wanted to use it to control DPP, as attested by his daughter that many candidates has used his resource.
It's true that the blue media has been tireless to target him, but he is not flawless even without the smear campaign.
The US beef, H5N2 put Ma/KMT regime under hot waters, Chen's alleged illness (and alleged mistreatment by his son) is the best smokescreen to divert people's attention.
Most likely he wanted to use it to control DPP, as attested by his daughter that many candidates has used his resource.
ReplyDeleteYep. All that money was DPP money, but he used it to control the DPP.
Regarding the cycling article: it actually came out in another Canadian paper (the exact same article I mean) in December. I don't know for certain, but it seems likely the writer was part of that group whose trip over was paid for by the Tourism Bureau (they merely had to guarantee they had a paper back home agreeing to publish an article on Taiwan's cycling. Hence you get the mention of Guanshan and other minor paths and also the bizarre history that cycling took off as Taiwanese people couldn't afford overseas vacations. Taiwan's media goes crazy over an article on Taiwan that was made possible only by the generous payments of the Taiwanese government.
ReplyDeleteMost likely he wanted to have a stash because he knew there'd be a witch hunt the nanosecond he left office by petty revenge driven opponents who held all the levers of power and would happily crucify him like the teenage meangirls they are....maybe? just sayin'...
ReplyDeleteWhat can 99%ers do to help this poor guy?
ReplyDeleteChen is a 1%er. I doubt you'll find many 99%ers rushing to help him.
Working with the MDs and knowing a lot of people who visit the hospitals, the prescribing of Ativan is fairly standard here.
ReplyDeleteMost of us, when visiting the hospitals here for our complaints, often receive a cocktail of meds, which may include sedatives or anti-psychotics. I've even received them for digestive problems.
Don't forget that Taiwan MDs routinely prescribe sleeping pills - the most (over)prescribed drug in the country.
Ativan is a muscle relaxer. Unfortunately for CSB, it's also powerfully addictive, so he's going to go through a roller coaster ride of withdrawal for a couple of weeks.
The big pharma here in Taiwan compete within very narrow profit margins, so the hospitals have to push the pills. Most people take them blindly. Me, I toss them in trash.
One thing that absolutely defines a one percenter is never seeing the inside of a pound me in the ass jail. At best Chen is now a ten percenter, and going downhill fast. Again, would Bush "the shrub" or his dad, or Soong ever see the inside of a jail? One percenters are a law unto themselves, and above all other laws. It's wrong whatever you say. As much as Lee was the first democratically elected president, Chen was the first guy from the other side to be elected. That deserves a modicum of respect and forbearance. To complain about his eight years is foolish considering the executive can only do so much if the legislatures sole job is to say no.
ReplyDelete"Again, would Bush "the shrub" or his dad, or Soong ever see the inside of a jail? "
ReplyDeleteObama launched an illegal war (no Congressional approval). I'm not sure Bush ever did anything worse than that. Why would you want Bush to see the inside of a jail?