Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09AITTAIPEI721
2009-06-17 09:38:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
how-toVZCZCXYZ0004 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHIN #0721 1680938 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 170938Z JUN 09 FM AIT TAIPEI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1768 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9243 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0675
UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000721
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/P, EAP/PD - NIDA EMMONS
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAN
Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news
coverage June 17 on the murder of two Taiwan businessmen in mainland
China Monday; on the upcoming KMT chairman election; and on a
statement co-signed by around 150 media academics in protest at the
Want Want China Times Group for threatening lawsuits against
reporters and commentators who criticized the conglomerate's
acquisition of the China Times Group last November. In terms of
editorials and commentaries, a column in the mass-circulation "Apple
Daily" discussed the chaos in Iran in the wake of its presidential
election. The article said that, despite the grave disappointment
of the United States and other countries at the results of Iran's
presidential election, Iran's democracy remains a mirror for
totalitarian countries in the Middle East. A column in the
centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times," on the other hand, described
Iran as now standing at a political crossroad. End summary.
A) "A Rogue or a Model Student After All?"
Apple Daily Publisher James Tu wrote in his column in the
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (6/17):
"The results of Iran's presidential election have disappointed many
people. Key government officials of various countries felt
frustrated, as they originally expected that a [more] moderate
president would be elected in Iran; voters in Iran, particularly
those who aspired for change, were even more despairing. ... The
disappointed United States refused to acknowledge the election
results, but what else can it do? Is [U.S. President Barack] Obama
planning to close his door and retrieve the olive branch that he has
just proffered? Is it possible that the victory of Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad was entirely out of [the United States'] expectations?
If the answer is yes, then the U.S. intelligence system as well as
hundreds of [American] experts in the academic circle specializing
in the Middle East must be truly derelict of their duties. ...
"Campaign rallies in Iran were full of excitement and passion, and
the supporters were glowing with enthusiasm. The intensity of the
[presidential] race [in Iran] was not inferior to that in any other
mature democracy, whereas the 85 percent of voter turnout rate was
much higher than that in the major elections ina majority of
countries. Despite its limitations, Iran's democracy was far ahead
of other Middle Eastern countries. For Western countries such as
the United States, many of their allies in the Middle East either
hold no elections at all (such as SAUDI Arabia),or their elections
are a mere formality (such as Egypt). Given time, the limited
democracy in Iran, if it does not regress, will have a profound
impact on the entire region. Isn't it true that the United States
hopes to promote democracy in the Middle East? Regardless of its
immaturity and insufficiency, democracy in Iran remains a mirror for
the totalitarian nations of the Middle East."
B) "Post-Election Iran Has Become a Time Bomb"
Columnist Lin Po-wen wrote in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China
Times" [circulation: 120,000] (6/17):
"... Iran is standing at a political crossroads. Should Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad continue to rule [Iran] and insist on pursuing nuclear
weapons, Israel will surely bomb the nuclear facilities in Iran.
Israel, under the leadership of its bellicose Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, will certainly walk toward the brinkmanship of
war, and Iran will very likely be his touchstone. Should the chaos
in Iran caused by its presidential election continue, the prospects
for this Persian empire will truly be worrisome."
YOUNG
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/P, EAP/PD - NIDA EMMONS
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAN
Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news
coverage June 17 on the murder of two Taiwan businessmen in mainland
China Monday; on the upcoming KMT chairman election; and on a
statement co-signed by around 150 media academics in protest at the
Want Want China Times Group for threatening lawsuits against
reporters and commentators who criticized the conglomerate's
acquisition of the China Times Group last November. In terms of
editorials and commentaries, a column in the mass-circulation "Apple
Daily" discussed the chaos in Iran in the wake of its presidential
election. The article said that, despite the grave disappointment
of the United States and other countries at the results of Iran's
presidential election, Iran's democracy remains a mirror for
totalitarian countries in the Middle East. A column in the
centrist, KMT-leaning "China Times," on the other hand, described
Iran as now standing at a political crossroad. End summary.
A) "A Rogue or a Model Student After All?"
Apple Daily Publisher James Tu wrote in his column in the
mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] (6/17):
"The results of Iran's presidential election have disappointed many
people. Key government officials of various countries felt
frustrated, as they originally expected that a [more] moderate
president would be elected in Iran; voters in Iran, particularly
those who aspired for change, were even more despairing. ... The
disappointed United States refused to acknowledge the election
results, but what else can it do? Is [U.S. President Barack] Obama
planning to close his door and retrieve the olive branch that he has
just proffered? Is it possible that the victory of Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad was entirely out of [the United States'] expectations?
If the answer is yes, then the U.S. intelligence system as well as
hundreds of [American] experts in the academic circle specializing
in the Middle East must be truly derelict of their duties. ...
"Campaign rallies in Iran were full of excitement and passion, and
the supporters were glowing with enthusiasm. The intensity of the
[presidential] race [in Iran] was not inferior to that in any other
mature democracy, whereas the 85 percent of voter turnout rate was
much higher than that in the major elections ina majority of
countries. Despite its limitations, Iran's democracy was far ahead
of other Middle Eastern countries. For Western countries such as
the United States, many of their allies in the Middle East either
hold no elections at all (such as SAUDI Arabia),or their elections
are a mere formality (such as Egypt). Given time, the limited
democracy in Iran, if it does not regress, will have a profound
impact on the entire region. Isn't it true that the United States
hopes to promote democracy in the Middle East? Regardless of its
immaturity and insufficiency, democracy in Iran remains a mirror for
the totalitarian nations of the Middle East."
B) "Post-Election Iran Has Become a Time Bomb"
Columnist Lin Po-wen wrote in the centrist, KMT-leaning "China
Times" [circulation: 120,000] (6/17):
"... Iran is standing at a political crossroads. Should Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad continue to rule [Iran] and insist on pursuing nuclear
weapons, Israel will surely bomb the nuclear facilities in Iran.
Israel, under the leadership of its bellicose Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, will certainly walk toward the brinkmanship of
war, and Iran will very likely be his touchstone. Should the chaos
in Iran caused by its presidential election continue, the prospects
for this Persian empire will truly be worrisome."
YOUNG