6/24/2009
Department of International Affairs - Democratic Progressive Party
In support of China's democratic reform: the DPP calls for the immediate release of Chinese democratic activist Liu Xiaobo
Today (6/24/09) the Democratic Progressive Party released the following statement regarding the arrest of well-known Chinese writer Liu Xiaobo:
Because of the publication of "Charter '08", China has detained well-known writer and democratic reform leader Liu Xiaobo for the past seven months. Now the Chinese government has gone even one step further, arresting him on charges of "incitement to subvert state power."
We therefore solemnly call upon the Chinese government to release Liu Xiaobo immediately.
We believe that democracy, freedom and human rights are universal values. Governments must not violate these values. "Charter '08" demanded that the Chinese government to implement the protection of human rights, launch democratic reform, and move forward on a democratic Constitution for the country.
The Chinese government should face up to these demands from the public for democratic reform in stead of suppress, try to control and use intimidation against the democratic reform movement members.
We wish to point out that last year, after the publication of "Charter '08" and Liu Xiaobo's detention, the Ma Administration has been silent about this and turned a blind eye to the Chinese government's suppression of those associated with the democratic reform movement. In his statement regarding Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, President Ma Ying-jeou publicly affirmed the importance China gives to democracy and human rights. In doing so, not only did he make himself an accomplice of the Chinese government's suppression of the democracy movement but he also sent the world the wrong message that Taiwan supports China's action. This has greatly damaged Taiwan in the world community.
Taiwan’s efforts on preserving the important assets of democracy, freedom and human rights have been affirmed by international society. While the Ma Administration is aggressively moving forward with cross-strait exchanges, Ma not only does not make a good use of this advantage to support the democratization of China and let democracy and human rights become the common language in cross-strait affairs, but, rather, he becomes an accomplice of the Chinese government’s suppression on democracy and human rights. This is completely unacceptable.
Here, we solemnly request that the Ma Administration publicly calls upon the Chinese government to release Liu Xiaobo immediately and show its support to the Chinese democratic activists by concrete actions and clear declaration to the international community Taiwan’s firm stand for democracy and human rights as universal values.
