(CPJ/IFEX) – On 7 November 1996, Lui Tai-ying, director of the Business Management Committee of Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang party, filed a criminal libel suit against Ying Chan, an American journalist for the “Daily News” of New York, and Hsieh Chung-liang, senior editor of “Yazhou Zhoukan” (“Asia Weekly”), a Hong Kong-based newsweekly. Also named in the […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – On 7 November 1996, Lui Tai-ying, director of the
Business Management Committee of Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang
party, filed a criminal libel suit against Ying Chan, an American
journalist for the “Daily News” of New York, and Hsieh
Chung-liang, senior editor of “Yazhou Zhoukan” (“Asia Weekly”), a
Hong Kong-based newsweekly. Also named in the libel suit is the
chief source for the story, Chen Chao-ping, a Taiwanese business
consultant.
The lawsuit is in regard to an article published in the October
25 edition of “Yazhou Zhoukan” in which it was alleged that,
during an August 1995 meeting with former White House staffer
Mark Middleton, Lui had offered to donate US$ 15,000,000 to the
Democratic National Committee for U.S. President Bill Clinton’s
re-election campaign. Lui’s decision to sue the reporters has
been defended by senior members of the Kuomintang. If convicted,
Ying and Hsieh face up to two years in jail.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
by Lui Tai-ying because they serve to silence critical coverage
of government actions
the right to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas
through any media regardless of frontiers,” guaranteed by Article
19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United
Nations (indicating that, although the Taiwanese government is
not currently represented within the United Nations, Taiwan
signaled its willingness to abide by Article 19 in seeking
readmission to the General Assembly)
libel suit, and ensure that neither Taiwanese government nor
Kuomintang resources be used to further the suit
and the media’s right to practise their profession freely and safely
Appeals To
His Excellency Lee Teng-hui
President
Office of the President
Chungching South Road
Taipei, Taiwan
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
