Cablegate: Media Reaction: Taiwan's Political Situation

VZCZCXYZ0008
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #2957 2370847
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250847Z AUG 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1831
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5587
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6793

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 002957

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: TAIWAN'S POLITICAL SITUATION

1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies continued to
focus their coverage August 25 on the DPP's personal attacks against
former DPP Chairman Shih Ming-teh; the investigations into the
Presidential Office's special state affairs expense account; a
scuffle on a live TV talk show Thursday evening between two persons
arguing over President Chen Shui-bian; and the KMT's party assets
report. The pro-unification "United Daily News" ran a banner
headline on page two that read "Sit-in Campaign to Oust Bian Will
Kick off September 1 at the Earliest."

2. In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the
pro-independence "Liberty Times," Taiwan's biggest daily, called for
a gentler, rational middle-way force to harmonize the confrontations
between those who support President Chen and those who oppose him.
A "United Daily News" editorial, on the other hand, discussed the
KMT's party assets and urged the party to thoroughly investigate its
assets and get rid of them as early as possible. End summary.

A) "We Need a Gentle, Rational Middle-Course Force to Assuage the
Atmosphere of Violence"

The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 600,000]
editorialized (8/25):

"... In the face of the voices calling for Bian's ouster, Taiwan
society is divided into bipolar camps; it seems that the people are
either supportive of or oppose Bian. But in reality, a democratic
society should not be like that; there must be a gentle, rational
middle-course force between the two extremes to harmonize
confrontation and conflict. This middle-course force is not aimed
at supporting or ousting Bian, but at adhering to the democratic
system. In other words, perhaps some people in this force are
opposed to Bian, but they will definitely follow the rules of the
game in a democratic system. When they want the president to step
down, they will do it by means of recall or impeachment, and will
not mobilize the public to force the president to step down. This
is because they are aware that once the move to mobilize the public
to bring down an unpopular president succeeds, no matter who the
ruler is in the future, his opponents can all follow suit. Should
that happen, will Taiwan society live in peace again? ..."

B) "Party Assets Are in Fact the KMT's Unbearable Debts"

The pro-unification "United Daily News" [circulation: 400,000]
editorialized (8/25):

"... The KMT has for the first time publicized its party assets.
People did not see the rumored mountains of gold but rags and losses
everywhere. The fact that Ma Ying-jeou made public the KMT's
confusing party accounts at least showed that he is willing to face
the issue, and to show it to society honestly. But reviewing the
party assets issue can never end at the point of only publicizing
the accounts or putting the assets in trust. The KMT must
thoroughly investigate the whole story of its party assets and be
determined to give them away, returning the ill-gotten wealth back
to the country, and donating the wealth it acquired by luck or
chance to the pubic. If the KMT fails to do so, this heavy burden
will remain on the party's back and crush it for all time. ..."

YOUNG

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