美國自由之家呼籲臺灣政府成立獨立委員會調查警民衝突

Freedom House Calls for Inquiry into Taiwan Clashes

Washington – November 20, 2008 – Freedom House urges Taiwan's
government to create an independent commission to thoroughly
investigate clashes between police and activists protesting Chinese
envoy Chen Yunlin's historic visit and recommend needed reforms.



"A public investigation of the violence—which involved both sides—will
send a critical message that the new government of President Ma
Ying-jeou is interested in upholding the democratic values of
transparency and accountability," said Jennifer Windsor, Freedom House
executive director. "The inquiry should examine evidence on both sides
and recommend any needed reforms to police practices and the legal
framework governing demonstrations."



Hundreds of university students are currently staging a sit-in in
Taipei's Freedom Square and several other cities to protest the
government's handling of the incident. During Chen's visit, police
reportedly used heavy-handed tactics—including physical assault,
arbitrary detention and destruction of property—to prevent Chen from
seeing symbols of Taiwanese or Tibetan independence, as well as
broader demonstrations against the Chinese regime. Demonstrators also
employed violence against police, throwing rocks and petrol bombs
outside Chen's hotel on November 6.



The clashes reveal a need for police to undergo crowd control training
that adheres to the standards used in other democracies. Likewise,
demonstrators and political advocacy groups must recommit themselves
to orderly protests that avoid violence under any circumstances.



The inquiry commission should examine controversial passages in
Taiwan's Assembly and Parade Law, such as restrictions on where people
are allowed to demonstrate, and determine whether they need to be
liberalized to protect citizens' rights to freedom of expression and
assembly. The commission should also investigate claims that police
are selectively enforcing the law.



The visit by Chen, the most senior Chinese official to visit Taiwan
since it split from China in 1949, and the recent arrests of several
opposition party figures are raising concerns that that President Ma
and his Kuomintang Party may rollback democratic freedoms.



"The government must renew its commitment to tolerating robust freedom
of assembly and peaceful protest, no matter what the cause," said
Windsor.



Taiwan is ranked Free in the 2008 edition of Freedom in the World,
Freedom House's survey of political rights and civil liberties, and in
the 2008 version of Freedom of the Press.

For more information on Taiwan, visit:

Freedom in the World 2008: Taiwan
Freedom of the Press 2008: Taiwan

Freedom House, an independent nongovernmental organization that
supports the expansion of freedom in the world, has been monitoring
political rights and civil liberties in Taiwan since 1972.



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