OPPOSITION POLITICIANS ENDORSE U.S. EXTRADITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001258 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM KCRM KJUS CH TW SUBJECT: OPPOSITION POLITICIANS ENDORSE U.S. EXTRADITION PACT, WORRY ABOUT DEEPENING CROSS-STRAIT TIES Classified By: Director Bill Stanton for reasons: 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) wholeheartedly supported an extradition agreement with the United States, senior figures from Taiwan's major opposition party told Director Stanton during an October 21 dinner meeting. The politicians also expressed concern that President Ma Ying-jeou's efforts to improve relations with China threatened the cross-Strait status quo and, very possibly, Taiwan's existence as a separate entity. Domestically, they said, Ma was returning Taiwan to monolithic KMT rule, blocking meaningful DPP participation in government, academia and other parts of society. End summary. Strong Support for Extradition Pact -------------- ¶2. (C) The Director on October 21 had dinner with a dozen prominent opposition leaders, including DPP Legislative Yuan Caucus Leader Trong Chai, DPP Foreign Policy Advisor (and former TECRO Washington head) Joseph Wu and a number of the opposition's elder statesmen. When the DPP was the ruling party from 2000-2008, the Director noted, it supported negotiating an extradition pact with the United States. Now, however, some members of the party seemed to be less clear. Did the DPP still support negotiating an agreement, the Director asked, or had something changed? ¶3. (C) Noting that he was speaking as an authoritative voice of the DPP party headquarters on the issue, Wu emphasized that the DPP continued to strongly support such an agreement. The other opposition leaders readily concurred. In addition to strengthening U.S.-Taiwan ties, Wu said, the process of negotiating a deal would highlight the need for judicial reform. The Director agreed that he had heard many people - both within the government and outside it - offer ideas for needed reforms. KMT Will Have Unfair Advantage in 2012 Vote -------------- ¶4. (C) DPP LY Caucus Leader Trong Chai said Taiwan's 2012 Taiwan presidential election would be a turning point, arguing that Ma's reelection and continued opening toward China would inevitably lead to Taiwan being absorbed into the PRC. Although the DPP hoped to make this case to the people of Taiwan, the KMT was intimidating potential DPP supporters to prevent them from making campaign contributions. This would give the ruling party a vast spending advantage in the election. At the same time, China would do whatever it could economically and diplomatically to strengthen Ma's electoral hand, Chai and other opposition leaders complained. The result would be bad for Taiwan and bad for the United States, Chai said. ¶5. (C) Chai urged the United States to support the DPP, to offset Chinese support for the KMT. The U.S. Government would not interfere in democratic elections, the Director said, but would continue to insist that any change to Taiwan,s status was subject to the will of the Taiwan people. A strong U.S.-Taiwan relationship was the best way to insure that the people of Taiwan would continue to be able to make decisions about their future, he stressed. Opposition Feels Marginalized by KMT -------------- ¶6. (C) The DPP leaders cited many examples of what they described as a KMT lack of transparency and KMT efforts to weaken and marginalize the opposition. Allegations ranged from ministries squelching support for DPP-initiated public projects and DPP-leaning academic departments, to President Ma,s announcements of cross-Strait agreements without consulting the opposition. The DPP leaders told the Director they were convinced the KMT was secretly collaborating with China to stifle democracy on Taiwan and was not being open with traditional allies like the United States and Japan. They promised to provide further information to confirm the allegations. Comment: United States a Comforting Presence in Bad Times -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) The DPP is at a low ebb after losing badly in recent legislative and presidential elections, and after former President Chen Shui-bian's guilty verdict in his sensational corruption trial. These party leaders clearly believe that TAIPEI 00001258 002 OF 002 the KMT, with the support of China, is trying to finish off the opposition. While we disagree with their assessment that the current improvement in cross-Strait ties threatens Taiwan's existence as an independent entity, their concerns do reflect a general unease many here feel about the rise of their far larger neighbor. Under such circumstances, the U.S. Government's continued support for Taiwan democracy takes on great importance for the opposition, and its leaders to a person told the Director they strongly favored continued and strengthening U.S.-Taiwan ties. STANTON