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December 19, 2008
The Honorable
George W. Bush
President of the
United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania
Ave.
Washington, DC 20502
Dear Mr. President,
As an advocate of democracy, human
rights, and the rule of law around the
world, and as a strong supporter of
stability and prosperity across the
Taiwan Strait, I am deeply concerned
about the recent reported clampdown of
human rights and civil liberties in
Taiwan. I respectfully request that you
urge the government of Taiwan to
investigate the recent incidents and to
uphold the fundamental freedoms and
rights essential to any democratic
society.
As you
know, large protests occurred in Taiwan
during the November visit of China’s top
envoy for cross-straits relations, Mr.
Chen Yunlin. News outlets reported
various incidences of free speech
suppression, including the prohibition
of displaying Taiwan’s national flag
along routes traveled by Mr. Chen, and
the detention of people wearing t-shirts
with slogans like “Taiwan is my
country.” Moreover, some police were
reported to have used heavy-handed
tactics when handling the protesters,
and both Amnesty International and
Freedom House have urged the government
of Taiwan to conduct an independent
investigation of the police-protester
clashes. The organizations have also
called for a reexamination of Taiwan’s
Assembly and Parade Law to determine
whether it provides adequate protection
for citizens’ rights to freedom of
expression and assembly.
Section 2(c) of the
Taiwan Relations Act states, “The
preservation and enhancement of the
human rights of all the people on Taiwan
are hereby reaffirmed as objectives of
the United States.” I hope that you
closely monitor the developments in
Taiwan to ensure that human rights,
civil liberties, and the right to
peaceful protest remain the central
pillars of Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.
With warm regards,
David Wu
Member of Congress
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