[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 54 (Thursday, March 23, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 IN SUPPORT OF AN OPEN MEDIA IN TAIWAN

                                 ______


                            HON. TORRICELLI

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 22, 1995
  Mr. TORRICELLI. Mr. Speaker, I commend the following for the Record:
  A Plea to American Friends of Taiwan for a Fairer Television Media 
                          System in My Country

                       (By Trong R. Chai, Ph.D.)

       Distinguished Members of Congress, Ladies and Gentlemen: 
     Every time I revisited Capitol, I felt so good, as if I came 
     back to my old sweet home. During my long residency in 
     America, I frequently visited this place, as an advocate for 
     human rights for the Taiwanese and for security and 
     independence for Taiwan, my country. Since I left the U.S. 
     for Taiwan at the turn of the last decade, I have continued 
     to champion the same cause and values.
       I am here today to call your attention to the problem of 
     equal opportunity for the opposition to access the television 
     media in Taiwan.
       At the present, all the three nationwide television 
     stations have been firmly controlled by the ruling Koumintang 
     (KMT) party. By manipulation of content and twist of 
     reporting language, in the gubernatorial and mayoral 
     elections of last December, for example, all television 
     stations depicted the KMT as the defender of order, 
     stability, and prosperity, while demeaning the Democrat 
     progressive party (the DPP), the largest opposition party, as 
     an underminer toward social unrest and a solicitor of China's 
     military attack. In addition, by disparity of coverage, the 
     KMT candidates were given close to 90 percent of news 
     coverage, whereas the DPP candidates, receiving more than 40% 
     of popular votes, were given less than 10% of exposure, 
     thereby creating unfair elections.
       The government of Taiwan has decided to license one more 
     nationwide television station next month to three groups 
     submitted applications for the license last June, and one of 
     them was submitted a KMT leader. The followup question is, 
     ``Will the fourth television station be granted to a non-KMT 
     group?'' This question is so important to the process of 
     democratization in Taiwan that I believe each of you here in 
     this room will be concerned with.
       Distinguished Members, and dear friends of Taiwan: Your 
     past influence on Taiwan's democratic development has been 
     enormous and deeply appreciated by the people of Taiwan. 
     Especially, at crucial milestones in the last decade, your 
     voices helped Taiwan successfully end the old one-party 
     dictatorship and create a two-party system, lift the 38 year-
     old martial law, and close the darkest record of human rights 
     violations; thereby bringing real hopes for democratic 
     reforms and freedom from fear. Now, at this critical juncture 
     in selecting the winner of the fourth nationwide television 
     station, would you give us a timely and most crucial support 
     to ensure that this winner will be a non-KMT applicant so 
     that democracy will not be an empty slogan but a real way of 
     life in Taiwan.
       Thank you for your attention and support.
       

                          ____________________