Jerome Cohen (孔傑榮)

再增錄一篇美國的台灣專家關心國內法治觀念逐漸消失的報導。2009-01-28

下面有三篇文章，都該收錄在我的部落格上。

Jerome Alan Cohen教授是紐約大學法律學教授，向來關心中國及台灣的政治、法律，曾經於1970年代從中國牢獄，營救出韓戰後被關閉二十年的飛行員John T. Downey而有名。馬英九就是他在哈佛大學任職時的學生。

Cohen教授最近透過Associated Press的記者PETER ENAV，嚴厲批評台灣法界行徑，在法務部長王清峰領頭的「法律日」，由法官、檢察官、及其他法界高階人士一起聚會中，用諷刺喜劇嘲弄正在被調查、尚未定罪的陳水扁。這種在文明國家不可能見到的、毫無法學修養的行為，他說好像是馬戲團上演，不可思議（unthinkable）；只在七、八個月內，有人意欲將台灣政治過去十五年來的進步一掃而光。他還指出只有馬英九才能糾正這種風氣。(這正指出台灣法治精神的大幅退步，是馬本人的所為！) 台灣的法界人士的守法觀念已經淪落到令外國人關心、投書，法務部、總統府還不願承認錯誤、改進，才是我們該痛心、警戒的重點。

再看金恆偉揭穿偏藍、偏國民黨的新聞媒體如何扭曲這位「孔傑榮」教授幾篇批評目前台灣國民黨政府的文章。當然這只是舉例，其他扭曲事實的、不合記者職業倫理的報導，是「罄竹難書」。台灣民眾能夠依賴這種報紙得到正確的訊息、判斷國家政策是否正確，才怪！

馬英九上任「中華民國總統」大位之後的所作所為，皆以和中國迅速統一為唯一目標，除此之外幾乎樣樣違反三月總統選舉前對台灣選民的承諾。再加上其能力之差，不僅國內藍綠兩派老少都同意，連新加坡李光耀都會批評他的作風[缺少智慧]，似是打牌時掀光底牌。這種沒有誠信又腦筋不夠靈光的人，不要說是政治領導人，連一個學校、公司恐怕都無法讓他主持。

看看目前國家經濟已將陷入窘境，其次將是國防崩潰、主權消失。前幾天還透露：中華民國外交部的日曆竟有中共國慶日、毛澤東生日列為假日，才駭人聽聞。當然這不是無能，這是他們為了試試水溫、看國民反應而下的小手腳。一國的外交部門無恥至此，還能說什麼！

現在很多人因失業、生活陷入困境，小孩失學，有人餓死，有人凍死。作為一國領導者，還會電視前說笑、裝可愛；去購買游泳褲，故意張在電視前，是否把選民當傻瓜？妳們還不會噁心？

國民黨政權逐漸恢復過去控制人民行為的社會，設法繼續其政權，維護自身利益。很多國民黨高官極力傾中，還不是為他們自己家人在中國的商業利益？他們才不理你一般民眾勞工的權益！這些高官權貴的家屬在中國做什麼生意，可以要求他們列舉，馬上就知道。

觀察到其他文明國的政治家極度強調「誠信」、重視「民眾感受」、「負責任」的態度；又看著馬戲團處處奸詐背信，全面向他心中的專制母國傾斜，拆除自家國旗國名、更禁唱台灣歌曲，來迎接中國人，這種無恥的模樣，實在是世界奇聞奇觀。可是民調還有百分之四十的信任度！台灣要自稱是文明國家，確實是還有一大截民眾公民教育的空間。

馬英九過去數十年反台灣、反台灣人、反台灣民主的行為，表示他的性格已是如此，還以為台灣主權不會被他損害，是太過「天真」了；忘記了國民黨貪污多年，還沒有一人被關入牢，各個逃亡中國或其他國家，逍遙法外，是極危險的「健忘」。

如果大多數台灣人寧願放棄民主、人權，向中國專制政權屈膝投降，則另當別論。可能世界上還有一些不管你死活的國家，稱讚台灣人犧牲自己權益的精神，會促進世界和平呢！不過目前不是有高達百分之八十的民眾還認同台灣為主權國，並自認是台灣人，引以為傲？比兩千三百萬人口更小，科技工業發展更落後的國家，都還能維持自立、繁榮。為什麼還要傾中，變得非依賴對台灣主權有強烈敵意的中國不可？

國家認同的原則在於生命理念的一致，而不在於DNA的相似度或文化的同源；不能為了賺更多錢，而犧牲自由與人權；更不應該受心存不軌的政治集團操縱，只盯住眼前一小件問題、逞一時之快，而出賣國家前途。

在台灣的居民，要生活在自由民主、重視人權的國家，或是要成為無權自決的地方二等國民、受人宰割、自取其辱，都是你（妳）自己的決定。

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TAIWAN: US-based Taiwan experts add names to open letter

Among the judicial concerns from international academics and writers is leaks to the media regarding ongoing cases

Taipei Times
Saturday, January 24, 2009

By William Lowther

WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Two important Taiwan experts based in Washington have added their names to the open letter published in the Taipei Times earlier this week expressing concern about what they see as an erosion of justice in Taiwan.

The new signatories are former deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Randall Schriver and George Washington University academic Michael Yahuda.

In the original letter a group of international academics and writers urged President Ma Ying-jeou to order an independent inquiry into the way police squashed protests during the visit of Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin.

The letter said: "The establishment of a scrupulously neutral commission is essential if there is to be a fair and objective conclusion on the disturbances that occurred during the Chen Yunlin visit."

Freedom House, Amnesty International and US professor Jerome Cohen have also strongly recommended an independent inquiry.

At the same time, the group has expressed concern about the legal proceedings in the case of former president Chen Shui-bian and political pressure from KMT members of the Legislative Yuan that preceded a switch from a three-judge panel that had released the former president on his own cognizance to a court that subsequently detained him again.

The letter said there had been a "widespread pattern of leaks to the media regarding ongoing cases -- leaks, which because of their content and nature can only have come from the prosecutors' offices."

It mentioned a recent skit in which some prosecutors involved in Chen's case poked fun at the former president.

"This pattern of behavior displays a distinct bias in the judicial system and a disregard for fair and impartial processes," it said.

It concluded by again urging Ma "to ensure that your government and its judiciary and parliamentary institutions safeguard the full democracy, human rights and freedom of expression."

In an article published this week in its Taiwan Communique, the Washington-based Formosan Association for Public Affairs said the last few months had seen a further erosion of human rights and democracy in Taiwan .

It said the downward slide started in mid-October with the arrest and detention of former and present officials of the Democratic Progressive Party administration and worsened with aggressive police behavior during the Chen Yunlin visit in early November.

"Both developments were reminiscent of Taiwan 's police state under the Kuomintang's [KMT] martial law, which lasted from 1947 until 1987," the article said.

It quoted Cohen, who was Ma's law professor at Harvard, as saying that the recent court proceedings against Chen Shui-bian "mocked the promise" of fairness.

"At what point does the presumption of innocence become meaningless and the pre-conviction detention morph into punishment for a crime not finally proved?" Cohen asked.

Date Posted: 1/24/2009

 

Mentor urges Taiwan 's Ma to ensure trial fairness

By PETER ENAV,Associated Press Writer AP - Saturday, January 17

TAIPEI, Taiwan - The Harvard Law School mentor of Taiwan 's President Ma Ying-jeou said Saturday that his former student needs to urgently act to prevent an "increasingly disturbing circus atmosphere" from prejudicing his predecessor's right to a fair trial.

Jerome Cohen's comments to The Associated Press follow last week's biting skit that mocked former President Chen Shui-bian, performed by prosecutors at a Taiwan "Law Day" dinner attended by Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng, judges, and other leading lights of the island's legal community.

The skit made fun of Chen at the time of his arrest on graft charges in November, with a woman depicting him waving his manacled hands in the air and complaining about police brutality and judicial persecution.

At least one of the prosecutors appearing in the skit is involved in the continuing investigation of Chen.

Chen goes on trial Monday on charges of money laundering, bribery and looting a special presidential fund. While admitting his family wired more than $20 million to overseas bank accounts under its control, he says the money was unused campaign contributions that under Taiwanese law are his to deal with freely.

Cohen, now a law professor at New York University , is one of the world's foremost experts on legal systems in Taiwan and China . He mentored Ma three decades ago at Harvard and they remain close. They last met in the presidential office in Taipei on Dec. 16.

In a telephone interview with the AP, Cohen called performing the skit "unthinkable."

"It is as if there are people trying to repudiate all the progress that Taiwan has made over the past 15 years," he said, referring to the island's gradual transition from dictatorship to multiparty democracy.

Cohen said Ma should move swiftly to force Justice Minister Wang to clarify remarks she made in defense of the skit, including her characterization that it was, "just a little performance reflecting on current affairs."

"If he doesn't get this, who in Taiwan can get it?" he said.

Presidential spokesman Wang Yu-chi said Ma would not intervene with the justice minister on Chen's trial.

"President Ma Ying-jeou's stand is that he respects the judiciary and he does not interfere with individual cases," he said. "At the same time he hopes that the judiciary will behave in a way that does not induce improper political reactions on the part of the public."

There is "an increasingly disturbing circus atmosphere" surrounding the Chen trial, Cohen said, that includes not only the mounting of the skit, but also a decision by a Taipei court to reverse itself and order Chen jailed pending his trial.

Chen was originally locked up for 32 days to allow prosecutors to build their case against him, then ordered freed on his own recognizance by the court. However, he was returned to jail on Dec. 29 after a new panel of judges heard the prosecutors' second appeal against him.

Cohen said Ma's handling of the Chen case revealed an apparent choice to placate the extremist wing of his ruling Nationalist Party rather than reaching out to Taiwan 's broad political middle.

"He's acting like (President George W.) Bush in catering to the most right wing conservative elements," he said.

Presidential spokesman Wang rejected that characterization.

"(Ma's) hands-off policy has irritated some party members who hoped he could deal with the Chen case more aggressively," he said. "So it is incorrect to say that President Ma is trying to placate some party members with the way he is treating the Chen case."

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《中時》KUSO孔傑榮

《中國時報》裁員改版，號稱「精英報」。表現在形式上的改變，就是在每一版上打出「編輯」的「名字」，以此向讀者保證，並示負責。

確實，「傳媒詐術」的手法之一，就是在標題上玩把戲。編輯台為記者所寫的報導下標題時，有意作偽來誤導視聽；反正躲在文字之後，不怕被人指責或揭穿。《中時》公開亮出編輯的大名以昭大信；當然表示「童叟不欺」。

然而，《中時》在「時報廣場」上的「孔傑榮專欄」，卻是不折不扣的「黑心貨」；版面上公然掛上「總主筆」及「編輯」的名字，譯文後敢於附上譯者大名。如此陣仗更彰顯是「有意」的「詐欺」；三重的「保證」的目的，不過是鬆懈讀者戒心而吃下文字的「三聚氰胺」。

去年 十一月十三日 ，「孔傑榮的專欄」痛斥馬政府，在北京兩岸首腦陳雲林訪台時，「逾越了自由社會的界限」，並且質疑司法沒有嚴守「政治中立」以及違反「無罪推論」的基本原則，甚而指控「喚醒『戒嚴黑暗時期』不義程序的幽靈」。作者的題目非常明顯〈為了兩岸關係不惜犧牲台灣公民自由〉，譯文卻胡謅成〈陳雲林旋風颳人權問題〉，完全取消強有力的批判性。這種扭曲同樣見於內文，比如作者用描述性文字說：「台灣警方無法保護 陳 先生副手」，譯文卻成為「張銘清的『攻擊』事件」；這與陷人於罪的「官方」說法完全一致！

一月八日，「孔傑榮專欄」極為精采。譯者是「紐約大學法學院亞美法研究員宋名晰」，理應專家譯筆，依然是「黑心貨」。原文題目一針見血：〈扁案法官已經毀了他們的機會〉，譯文卻讓人摸不著頭腦的曖昧：〈對扁案的追訴：第一階段〉，什麼又什麼的！因此內文第一段出現的「毀了」，譯文變成了不知所云的「貽誤」；孔傑榮論及「法院受理本案的程序」，強烈的抨擊「已經嘲弄了社會期待」，譯文卻用輕鬆的字眼「期待落空」取代。

孔傑榮非常注意扁案的發展，他認為羈押庭決定收押陳水扁，是明顯「違反」大法官釋字第六五三號，譯文卻用「矛盾」一筆帶過。至於把「不利證據」改成「犯罪證據」，不只不專業，也暴露了內心的「黑暗」。

譯文的胡掰多不可數，最後再引一例。孔文用問句表達對台灣司法政治化的不信任：「有沒有政治人物秘密的恐嚇法院？」譯文作為「有無政治人物脅迫該法院」，為何「秘密」兩字不見了？

《中時》已脫手給「旺旺集團」；新老闆是坐視還是有意？這才是重點。

（作者金恆煒，當代雜誌總編輯）

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信馬者能怪誰？

民進黨執政時籌設的「二二八國家紀念館」，在馬英九上台後立即停工，預算更遭到國民黨佔絕對多數的立法院刪除，引發二二八受難家屬不滿，批評多次為二二八事件表達歉意的馬英九邪惡，違信背義，說一套做一套。

其實，二二八家屬根本不必嚴厲斥責馬英九，因為他說一套做一套的作風，是「一路走來、始終如一」，何曾變過？言行不一，固然是他的錯，但相信他的人，只能怪自己。

尤其，在主權與認同問題上，馬英九會隨著客觀環境不同，因應情勢所需，拋出各種不同的說法，特別是選舉時，只要能騙到選票，什麼違背自己信念，或者肉麻的話都說得出口。（他還會陪著受害者哽咽呢！）最可怕的是，他說起這些謊言來，還是一副非常誠懇的表情，因此，如果他說太陽從西邊出來，恐怕都會有人相信。

「燒成灰都是台灣人」，這是何等莊嚴的應許，縱使一輩子愛台灣，死生不改其志的人，可能都說不出口，唯恐自己努力不夠，信念不夠堅定，會褻瀆了自我的良知。

匪夷所思的是，身體裡流著終極統一血液，精神上懷抱著大中國情結的馬英九，說起此話來，竟然如此自然、順口、輪轉，絕不會跳針，一點都沒有勉強的感覺。聽到這麼感人的話，選民若不把票投給他，簡直是沒有良心。