Mr. Warren, President of the International Federation of Journalists, Mr. Lu, President of the Association of Taiwan Journalists, all the journalist friends from local and foreign press, associates from the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen: Good Afternoon!
First, on behalf of the government of the Republic of China and the people of Taiwan, I would like to express my warmest welcome to our friends from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). Welcome to Taiwan!
This year, near forty journalist elites from twenty nations around the globe have convened in Taipei to participate in the IFJ Asia Regional Meeting. This auspicious occasion signifies the integration of Association of Taiwan Journalists into the world journalistic society, making Taiwan a veritable part of the international apparatus that promotes media reform and the protection of press freedom.
The IFJ is currently the largest professional journalistic organization in the world. In its long history of espousing the principle of professional independency, the IFJ had made outstanding contributions to the protection of press freedom, to media development, and to the advancement of democratic politics. As a result, the International Federation of Journalists has received abundant praises from media professionals around the globe for its exemplary work in advancing freedom of the press. Likewise, the Association of Taiwan Journalists (ATJ) has actively pursued Taiwan's media reform by becoming an official member of the IFJ. Through interactions with the international press community, ATJ had successfully broadened the scope and reach of Taiwan's news media. I would like to take this opportunity to also commend the outstanding achievements of Association of Taiwan Journalists.
On May 3rd "World Press Freedom Day" of this year, US Freedom House published "Freedom of the Press 2005 Report", Taiwan ranks 44th among the 194 countries surveyed, advancing 6 places from the year before, and is listed alongside European nations and the United States as counties that have "complete Freedom of the Press."
In contrast, China now ranks 177th on the list, dropping 4 places from previous year and is among countries that do not have freedom of the press. Even though the Freedom House report has affirmed Taiwan's achievements in promoting press freedom and has recognized Taiwan as a country that fully embraces democratic values, we will not become complacent. We will forge ahead in our never-ending pursuit to defend and protect freedom of the press. I am convinced that our efforts will successively lead to greater achievements down the road.
Before I started my political career, I once worked as a journalist and a human rights defense lawyer for journalists in the publishing industry. In the backdrop of Taiwan’s authoritarian rule in the 80's, the biggest irony of all was: after launching a magazine critical of the authorities and calling for freedom of the press, I was imprisoned for eight months, being accused of libel.
Because I have personally endured the oppression of press freedom, I hold a deep conviction that we rather overdo than doing inadequately in protecting the freedom the press. Should freedom of the press ever be in conflict with national security, I would rather sacrifice national security in the interest of defending the complete freedom of the press.
From lifting of the martial law, ending the bans on new political parties and newspapers in the 80's; the complete reelection of the national legislature and direct election of the president in the 90's; to the eventual first ever peaceful transfer of power between political parties in 2002, we are mindful of the pivotal role—that of an "advocate" and "overseer"—the press has played during Taiwan's democratic transformation and in the process of consolidating and deepening democracy in Taiwan.
Were it not for the media's function as the "Fourth Power," placing governmental policies and the implementation of reform projects under media scrutiny, Taiwan's democracy would not have kept abreast of the developments in the "communities of democracy" in the world—consequently, Taiwan would not have become broadly recognized by the world community as a "success story."
For emerging democracies in Asia, Taiwan's efforts in promoting press freedom and in improving media environment can serve as references to all. I believe a liberal and mature media environment is requisite for the development and progress of democracy. Undeniably, in many countries including Taiwan, press freedom continues to face serious challenges. Therefore, I would like to hereby make an appeal for continued efforts to protect press freedom by reaffirming that not only should the freedom of press be respected, we must also take concrete actions through legislation and international cooperation to ensure broad and comprehensive protection of press freedom.
This year, the IFJ Taipei Meeting has placed many important issues on its agenda, which include: how governments should safeguard freedom of the press and freedom of speech, and how journalistic professionals' basic rights and personal safety could be protected. By making transnational and regional comparisons, we draw attention to the importance of the goal to narrow the gap of press freedom standards in different countries.
As far as the Taiwan's government is concerned, I have reiterated on many occasions my firm stance to uphold the full protection of freedom of the press and freedom of speech. In July 2004, I also pledged my determination to include a provision for "complete freedom of the press" in the Constitution. At the present stage, my administration has launched the constitutional reengineering project. This will be a process of major reforms—from bottom to top, from peripheral to core issues—to foster social consensus through extensive debates and discussions. To demonstrate our sincerity, we have started to solicit opinions from members of the ruling party and the opposition parties, as well as legal experts, academic scholars and representatives from all sectors of society during the preparatory stage of constitutional reforms. We have also sought advice and obtained valuable input from the Association of Taiwan Journalists on the issue of incorporating freedom of the press in the constitution.
I sincerely hope that in the not too distant future, Taiwan will fully enjoy the democratic value of press freedom, similar to what has been guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Regrettably, we have taken notice of the recent incidence, in which a New York Times reporter was jailed by the US Government for refusing to reveal the source of her information. This is a stark illustration of how the First Amendment has yet to be fully implemented.
"One with moral integrity will never be devoid of good neighbors." Democracy, freedom, human rights and peace are universal values we all share, which have formed the bedrock of Taiwan's involvement in global affairs as a member of the "community of democracy." In May of this year, Taiwanese journalists covering the World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting were barred from obtaining media pass by the United Nations, the second time in two consecutive years. Mr. Warren, president of the IFJ, then issued a written statement on behalf of the Federation to express concerns over this incidence, which has constituted an infringement of our journalists' rights and the discrimination against journalists from Taiwan. The IFJ had also corresponded with the United Nations, urging the UN to recognize Taiwanese journalists' rights to report on news. The actions taken by the IFJ represent the voice of justice and the embodiment of the values IFJ has long upheld. I would like to express once again my admiration and appreciation to President Warren and your esteemed organization for the unstinting support you have given us.
In closing, I would like to offer my best wishes for a successful meeting. May all of you have the opportunity to witness and experience Taiwan's democratic advancement, as well as the progress and vitality in the Taiwan society. Thank you.