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.

陳雲林來台爆警民衝突 美自由之家 促台灣調查

籲馬政府成立獨立委員會

〔編譯胡立宗、記者陳宣瑜／綜合報導〕國際知名的民權團體「自由之家」二十日發表公開聲明，建議台灣政府組成獨立委員會調查「中國特使」陳雲林到台灣進行歷史性訪問時，發生的警民衝突事件，貫徹民主制度應有的透明及責任；委員會並應檢討警方執法及「集會遊行法」爭議性條文，避免損害人民應有的言論及集會自由。

促檢討警方執法、集遊法

「自由之家」華盛頓辦事處發布新聞稿指出，江陳會期間的暴力衝突，（警民）兩方都有參與，警方據報有選擇性執行集遊法相關規定的嫌疑，另外據稱對抗議民眾使用「高壓（heavy-handed）」手段，包括攻擊民眾、強制羈押及破壞財物，以防止中國代表團看見宣揚台灣或西藏獨立的旗號，以及針對中國政權的廣泛批評。

「自由之家」執行長溫莎（Jennifer Windsor）說，「對這起雙方都涉入的暴力事件進行公開的調查，將對馬英九總統新政府有意堅持透明及負責任的民主價值，發出重要的訊息。」

馬應容忍集會抗議的自由

她說，這項調查必須檢視雙邊的證據，並針對警察的作為及有關規範示威抗議的法律架構，提出必要的改革建議。自由之家說，目前有數百名大學生在台北的自由廣場及其他城市靜坐，抗議政府處理事件的方式，「（馬總統）政府必須重申對容忍強大的集會與和平抗議自由的承諾，無論集會抗議的動機為何。」

自由之家聲明指出，這些衝突顯示警方需要進行群眾控制訓練，遵守其他民主國家採取的標準。同樣的，示威者和政治主張團體必須要求自己進行有秩序的抗議，避免在任何情況下訴諸暴力。

憂心馬走民主自由回頭路

自由之家也強調，自江陳會以來，又有多名反對黨人士遭羈押，正引發外界對馬總統及他的國民黨可能走民主自由回頭路的關切。

自由之家新聞稿中也肯定台灣在「自由之家」針對政治權利和公民自由進行調查的「二○○八年世界自由」排行榜及「二○○八年新聞自由」排行榜，都名列自由國家。

國際記者組織（ＩＦＪ）日前也曾發布新聞稿，譴責馬政府近來對於媒體的諸多干預，擔心台灣的媒體自主將大受影響，強烈要求台灣政府停止這些有礙新聞自主的行徑。

野草莓運動邁向第十七天，昨天收到來自美國國際ＮＧＯ團體「自由之家（Freedom House）」對台灣政府調查警方暴力的呼籲，學生們深感振奮。

自由之家是一個非政府、獨立的組織，支持自由民主於全世界的散播，從一九七二年就持續觀察台灣的政治權利與公民自由，日前野草莓向國際寄出訴求，獲得國際回應，成功在國際上發聲。

原文可至http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=70&release=725觀看。