President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of May 13 with representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from throughout the world who have come to Taiwan to attend the 2nd East Asian Human Rights Forum 2009. Meeting at the Presidential Office, President Ma extended a cordial welcome to the visitors for making the special trip here.
President Ma commented that discussions on a variety of human rights issues have been held at the conference over the past two days. Representatives of NGOs from a number of countries have exchanged opinions on the state of human rights around the world. The president said the conference will have a positive impact on the development of human rights in Taiwan.
The president added that he personally pays close attention to human rights topics. During his tenure as Minister of Justice, Taiwan carried out its first ever public opinion survey on attitudes towards whether the death penalty should be abolished, and three scheduled executions were suspended, he said. These developments were landmark events in Taiwan's judicial history, he noted.
President Ma furthermore said that when he was Taipei City Mayor, he saw to it that modern interrogation rooms were established at over 80 police stations in the city. In addition to protecting the human rights of criminal suspects, this also helped to prevent false accusations against the police. The president added that the Taipei City Government at that time also established a human rights advisory committee, becoming the first local government in Taiwan to do so.
President Ma said that during his campaign for the presidency he proposed many measures to protect human rights, including banning illegal wiretapping, banning government interference in the media, and preventing prosecutors from handling cases on a selective basis. He said that on May 14 at the Taipei Guest House he will sign the United Nations' International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights that were ratified by the Legislative Yuan at the end of March. The two covenants will be enacted into law in Taiwan, and the government will find a channel to forward the notifications to the Secretary-General of UN for depositary. In addition, he said, the government plans to amend the Parade and Assembly Act, enabling protestors to simply inform authorities of their intention to hold rallies rather than having to first obtain approval. In addition, criminal liability provisions will be eliminated from the Act, and other rules will be relaxed. These changes, the president said, will enable the public to more freely express their opinions. All of these initiatives demonstrate the government's firm resolve to improve the human rights environment in Taiwan and desire to provide ample protection of human rights.
The visitors expressed their appreciation to President Ma for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with them, and discussed a number of human rights topics with the president. The guests praised the president for signing the two international covenants that address human rights issues in everyday life, adding that this will pave the way for the further development of democracy and freedom in Taiwan.