Diane Lee, Taiwan Updates, the Shame Continues

Monday January 19, by Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

The irony of ironies took place in Taiwan when the World League of Freedom and Democracy (WLFD) Republic of China chapter celebrated the upcoming World Freedom Day at their 53rd convention in Taipei. Everyone was praising how Taiwan had become a democracy (which it has) but no one admitted how long it took to do so and how much Taiwanese blood had to be shed to accomplish that. This is just one of the unsaid items of the day.

The day (Jan. 23, 1954) is to commemorate the arrival of some 14,000 Chinese communist soldiers imprisoned in the Korean War chose to live in Taiwan under the dictator Chiang Kai-shek than in China under the dictator Mao Tse-tung.

As usual, Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou was there trying to justify his placating policy to China. Ma noted that martial law was lifted in 1987 and direct presidential elections began in 1996. He did not note that while Germany and Japan took less than 12 years to lift martial law and achieve democracy, it took over 40 years for Taiwan to escape martial law under the reigns of Chiang Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo and 50 years to establish presidential elections by the people. The Chiangs were supposedly the promoters of the World League of Freedom and Democracy.

Ma went on to say how he almost cried on George W. Bush's congratulatory letter to him on his election; somehow Ma did not cry for all the Taiwan family lives he ruined when he was a KMT campus spy during the 1970s and 80s; nor did he mention any tears for the thousands of political prisoners interned on Green Island while the WLFD celebrated freedom and democracy under the Chiangs. Unfortunately In addition to an anti-Communist league, Taiwan also needed an anti-Chiang Kai-shek league, but it never came. These are the ironies that jump out for those willing to look beyond the gloss that the KMT and Ma have always sought to cover themselves with.

In other areas, KMT ex-legislator Diane Lee still floats free as a bird though she openly broke the nation's laws and ripped the country off of over US$ 3 million. Oh yes, the KMT prosecutors did talk to her for two hours before letting her go. There is a whole lot of denial going on. Lee still tries to lie her way out, but her passport had to be renewed in 2001, long after she had taken the oath of office that she tried to claim invalidated it. The US says she is still on their lists as a citizen with passport. So while the incarcerated and pre-judged Chen Shui-bian goes to trial, Lee did not even get a scolding.

Then there is the shameful and totally unprofessional skit that KMT judges and prosecutors put on and watched and Ma Ying-jeou's Minister of Justice tried to pooh-pooh as good innocent fun. For those who have not seen it, go to http://taiwanmatters.blogspot.com Yes, all this is going on while Taiwan celebrates 2009 World Freedom Day.