Chen Violates Terms of Medical Parole with Interview?|日媒頭版刊出訪扁內容 大談政治理念

Controversy is exploding around a frontpage interview published by a Japanese newspaper, in which former President Chen Shui-bian criticized the Ma-Xi meeting in 2015 as a personal show and suggest current administration promote referendums against China. Some lawmakers questioned whether Mr. Chen has violated the terms of medical parole with his interview with the media.


Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun's Sept. 5 edition features a front-page interview with former President Chen Shui-bian. In the interview, Chen calls on President Tsai Ing-wen's administration to promote referendums to combat pressure from China and let the world know Taiwanese people are unwilling to be a part of China. In the interview, Chen's first with the paper in 10 years, he also criticized former President Ma Ying-jeou's cross-strait policies and claimed the historic Ma-Xi meeting in 2015 did nothing for Taiwan.

An independence referendum would only tear Taiwanese society further apart. It would also hugely damage cross-strait relations. The Tsai administration has hurt cross-strait relations enough already. Former President Chen can't pin the blame on the former Ma administration.

Pan-blue lawmakers immediately wrote off Chen's comments, but pan-green lawmaker Hsu Chih-chieh said he respects Chen's opinion and the voice of pro-independence must continue speaking. Under the terms of Chen's medical parole, he is not allowed to take part in interviews or talk about politics. In response to criticism that this was a clear violation of these terms, Taichung Prison said Chen had a "non-active" role in the interview and no action is needed.

He was not an active participant in the interview. The reporter was simply republishing remarks he made somewhere else. We don't need to take any further disciplinary action.

Taichung Prison says Sankei Shimbun was merely republishing quotes from elsewhere and Chen therefore didn't violate the terms of his release. In response, pan-blue lawmakers condemned the Democratic Progressive Party for its hypocrisy and double standards. As China recently banned Sankei Shimbun coverage, the timing of the publication of the interview is raising eyebrows.