Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TAIPEI1185
2009-10-01 07:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:
JUSTICE MINISTER LAYS OUT THREE PRIORITIES FOR
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001185
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL KJUS KCRM PHUM TW CH
SUBJECT: JUSTICE MINISTER LAYS OUT THREE PRIORITIES FOR
U.S.-TAIWAN COOPERATION
Classified By: AIT Director Bill Stanton, for Reasons 1.4(B) and (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001185
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL KJUS KCRM PHUM TW CH
SUBJECT: JUSTICE MINISTER LAYS OUT THREE PRIORITIES FOR
U.S.-TAIWAN COOPERATION
Classified By: AIT Director Bill Stanton, for Reasons 1.4(B) and (D).
1. (C) Summary: In her introductory meeting with Director
Stanton on September 30, Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng
laid out three priorities on which she hoped Taiwan and the
U.S. could strengthen cooperation. She urged progress toward
a U.S.-Taiwan extradition agreement, an issue she said
enjoyed broad public support due to the high number of
economic fugitives at large in the United States. The
Minister also maintained that Taiwan's demonstrable record of
improvements in counter-trafficking warranted Taiwan's return
to Tier 1 status in the annual Trafficking-in-Persons Report.
Finally, the Minister asked for more opportunities for
Taiwan prosecutors to study in the United States and visit
counterpart agencies. End summary.
Judicial Reform, Reliability, and Extradition
--------------
2. (C) Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng told the Director
on September 30 she hoped progress could be made toward a
U.S.-Taiwan extradition agreement. The Director noted that
some in Washington had expressed concerns about aspects of
Taiwan's judicial process, such as pre-indictment detention.
Minister Wang responded that pre-charge detention existed in
many judicial systems and that the justifications for
detention in Taiwan were similar to those in the U.S. and
elsewhere. These included being accused of a felony offense,
flight risk, threat to public safety, and fear of tampering
with witnesses or evidence. That said, the government had
researched how other countries handled pre-indictment
detention and was reviewing the issue.
3. (C) Minister Wang noted that President Ma had fostered
judicial independence as Minister of Justice in the 1990s and
that even today he remained committed to judicial reform and
human rights. Wang stressed her own background as a lawyer
and social activist and emphasized the Ma administration's
dedication to clean governance and an open, transparent
judicial process. Wang remarked that Taiwan had open trials
and public judgments, and welcomed inspections of its prison
facilities.
Tier 1 Efforts for Tier 2 Rank?
--------------
4. (C) Minister Wang wondered aloud why Taiwan was not ranked
Tier 1 in the Trafficking-in-Persons Report and cautioned
against using isolated incidents to over-generalize about
problems. If Taiwan's efforts were lacking, said Wang, then
the Tier 2 ranking would be understandable. In fact, she
said, Taiwan had made prodigious efforts to combat human
trafficking, including the passage of a comprehensive
anti-trafficking law and the ratification of the two UN Human
Rights Covenants. Taiwan had even passed an implementing law
making its obligations under the two Covenants binding. The
Ministry was currently coordinating government-wide efforts
to assess existing statutes and regulations for conformity
with the Covenants. The results would be announced in
December, she told the Director. In the meantime, the
Ministry of Justice had begun instituting human rights
training for judicial and law enforcement officials.
Moreover, said Wang, the Ministry of Education had
incorporated the concepts of human rights and anti-human
trafficking into the national curriculum.
Cross-Strait Judicial Cooperation
--------------
5. (C) Cross-Strait judicial cooperation was proceeding under
the Joint Crime Fighting and Judicial Cooperation Agreement
signed in April, said Minister Wang. Taipei had already
submitted more than 100 requests under the agreement, said
Wang, but did not elaborate other than to add that China had
yet to respond.
TAIPEI 00001185 002 OF 002
U.S. Judicial Cooperation
--------------
6. (C) Minister Wang told the Director she would like more
opportunities for Taiwan prosecutors to visit their
counterpart U.S. agencies and to study in the United States.
The Director noted the importance of these kinds of exchanges
and promised to look for ways to further strengthen
U.S.-Taiwan cooperation.
STANTON
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL KJUS KCRM PHUM TW CH
SUBJECT: JUSTICE MINISTER LAYS OUT THREE PRIORITIES FOR
U.S.-TAIWAN COOPERATION
Classified By: AIT Director Bill Stanton, for Reasons 1.4(B) and (D).
1. (C) Summary: In her introductory meeting with Director
Stanton on September 30, Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng
laid out three priorities on which she hoped Taiwan and the
U.S. could strengthen cooperation. She urged progress toward
a U.S.-Taiwan extradition agreement, an issue she said
enjoyed broad public support due to the high number of
economic fugitives at large in the United States. The
Minister also maintained that Taiwan's demonstrable record of
improvements in counter-trafficking warranted Taiwan's return
to Tier 1 status in the annual Trafficking-in-Persons Report.
Finally, the Minister asked for more opportunities for
Taiwan prosecutors to study in the United States and visit
counterpart agencies. End summary.
Judicial Reform, Reliability, and Extradition
--------------
2. (C) Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng told the Director
on September 30 she hoped progress could be made toward a
U.S.-Taiwan extradition agreement. The Director noted that
some in Washington had expressed concerns about aspects of
Taiwan's judicial process, such as pre-indictment detention.
Minister Wang responded that pre-charge detention existed in
many judicial systems and that the justifications for
detention in Taiwan were similar to those in the U.S. and
elsewhere. These included being accused of a felony offense,
flight risk, threat to public safety, and fear of tampering
with witnesses or evidence. That said, the government had
researched how other countries handled pre-indictment
detention and was reviewing the issue.
3. (C) Minister Wang noted that President Ma had fostered
judicial independence as Minister of Justice in the 1990s and
that even today he remained committed to judicial reform and
human rights. Wang stressed her own background as a lawyer
and social activist and emphasized the Ma administration's
dedication to clean governance and an open, transparent
judicial process. Wang remarked that Taiwan had open trials
and public judgments, and welcomed inspections of its prison
facilities.
Tier 1 Efforts for Tier 2 Rank?
--------------
4. (C) Minister Wang wondered aloud why Taiwan was not ranked
Tier 1 in the Trafficking-in-Persons Report and cautioned
against using isolated incidents to over-generalize about
problems. If Taiwan's efforts were lacking, said Wang, then
the Tier 2 ranking would be understandable. In fact, she
said, Taiwan had made prodigious efforts to combat human
trafficking, including the passage of a comprehensive
anti-trafficking law and the ratification of the two UN Human
Rights Covenants. Taiwan had even passed an implementing law
making its obligations under the two Covenants binding. The
Ministry was currently coordinating government-wide efforts
to assess existing statutes and regulations for conformity
with the Covenants. The results would be announced in
December, she told the Director. In the meantime, the
Ministry of Justice had begun instituting human rights
training for judicial and law enforcement officials.
Moreover, said Wang, the Ministry of Education had
incorporated the concepts of human rights and anti-human
trafficking into the national curriculum.
Cross-Strait Judicial Cooperation
--------------
5. (C) Cross-Strait judicial cooperation was proceeding under
the Joint Crime Fighting and Judicial Cooperation Agreement
signed in April, said Minister Wang. Taipei had already
submitted more than 100 requests under the agreement, said
Wang, but did not elaborate other than to add that China had
yet to respond.
TAIPEI 00001185 002 OF 002
U.S. Judicial Cooperation
--------------
6. (C) Minister Wang told the Director she would like more
opportunities for Taiwan prosecutors to visit their
counterpart U.S. agencies and to study in the United States.
The Director noted the importance of these kinds of exchanges
and promised to look for ways to further strengthen
U.S.-Taiwan cooperation.
STANTON