CALD CHAIRMAN TURNOVER CEREMONY

IN TAIWAN.............................1
CONCLUDES
DECEMBER 2007

SU TSENG-CHANG RETURNS FROM ‘UNITED
CAMPAIGN’………………….....................2


DPP HOSTS CONFERENCE ON HUMAN

TRAFFICKING…………………………........3

democracy &
FRANK HSIEH VISITS JAPAN…………….....4

KMT ATTEMPTS
 TO CREATE CHAOS IN THE
UPCOMING ELECTIONS………………. .......5

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE DPP’S

progress
DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

CALD Chairman Turnover Ceremony Concludes in Taiwan

The Liberal Party of the Philippines, after serving two years as chair party of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats
(CALD), officially ended its term and passed on its duties to the new chair party and chairman, the Singapore Democratic
Party (SDP) and its Secretary-General Dr. Chee Soon Juan.

The Turnover Ceremony, appropriately set on Human Rights Day (December 10, 2007), was marred by continued injustice
and human rights abuse. Incoming Chairman Dr. Chee Soon Juan was prevented from attending the ceremony in Taiwan
as he was banned from traveling abroad by the Singaporean government.

In Dr. Chee’s place were SDP Chairman Gandhi Ambalam and his sister Ms. Chee Siok Chin. In a recorded message from
Dr. Chee, he expressed his thanks and support for the success of CALD, and in his video “Flame of Democracy”, asked for
freedom loving people to continue to ‘pass it on’ in hopes that democracy and respect for human rights will continue to
spread throughout the world.

Outgoing CALD chairman former Senate President Franklin Drilon of the Liberal Party of the Philippines expressed
“unwavering support to the SDP, and its leader Dr. Chee Soon Juan, for its struggle for democracy in Singapore.”

The previous CALD Chairman Turnover ceremony was also held in Taiwan in Taiwan in 2005, when the DPP passed on
its duties as chair party to the Liberal Party of the Philippines.

The DPP, one of the founding member parties of CALD, hosted this year’s CALD General Assembly in conjunction with
the Liberal International’s Human Rights Conference on Human Trafficking.

CALD Chairman Drilon and SDP

Chairman Gandhi Ambalam at CALD
Turnover Ceremony.
2 DEMOCRACY & PROGRESS

Su Tseng-Chang Returns from ‘United towards Victory Campaign’

Democratic Progressive Party vice-presidential candidate Su Tseng-Chang returned December 11 from a 10-day visit to
North America as part of DPP’s 2008 Presidential Campaign tour. The North American tour included stops in Houston,
Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orlando, and New York as well as Toronto, and was part of an effort in appealing to
overseas Taiwanese to return to Taiwan to vote for the upcoming elections. It is estimated that there will be about 30,000
people who will return to Taiwan to vote - a significant number of ballots. Su encouraged his audiences to participate in
the key upcoming election, stressing the importance of this election in determining the future of Taiwan and underscoring
the DPP’s commitment to democratic reform.

Su Tseng-chang With friends and

warmly greeted by supporters in Houston.
supporters upon his
arrival in New York.

Su Tseng-chang speaks to a packed crowd in the Pasadena Civic

Auditorium, California.
3 DEMOCRACY & PROGRESS

DPP Hosts Conference on Human

Rights

DEMOCRACY & The DPP hosted a conference in Taipei from

PROGRESS December 8-9 entitled “Strengthening Networks and
Department of Combating Human Trafficking”. The conference was
International Affairs jointly organized by Liberal International (LI) and
Democratic Progressive Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD).
Party
8F, No. 30, Pei-Ping East LI is a world federation of liberal political parties and
Rd. groups with members from 66 countries, and CALD
Taipei, Taiwan is the sole regional organization of liberal and
t. 886-2-23929989 ext. democratic political parties in Asia. The DPP is a
305-306 founding member of CALD and a member of LI.
f. 886-2-23214527
e-mail: foreign@dpp.org.tw Nearly 80 participants from around the world
web: http://www.dpp.org.tw gathered in Taipei for the two-day conference. The
conference sessions were focused on increasing the “Statistics show that,
Director: effectiveness of human rights advocacy and the today, millions of people
Bi-Khim Hsiao, MP growing issue of human trafficking.
are being bought and sold
like commodities across
Principal Deputy Director President Chen Shui-bian opened the event and was
Dr. I-Chung Lai
the globe... We must not
firm in his welcoming address: “Statistics show that,
today, millions of people are being bought and sold
allow human beings to be
Editor-In-Chief: like commodities across the globe... We must not denigrated and treated as
Roger Lee Huang allow human beings to be denigrated and treated as commodities.”
commodities.” LI President Lord Alderdice stated
Editor: that Taiwan is a model for democracy not only for its
Mike Fonte own future but also for the countries who are still
struggling for theirs. Franklin Drilon, Chairman of
CALD, said that representatives play a crucial role in
ending human trafficking, which is a violation of
basic human rights.

As an expanded part of the conference, CALD held

its 2007 General Assembly and 7th turnover
ceremony on December 10.
4 DEMOCRACY & PROGRESS

DPP Presidential Candidate Frank Hsieh visits Japan

DPP presidential candidate Frank Chang-tin Hsieh recently visited Japan to affirm Taiwan’s friendship with the
neighboring country, as well as to urge overseas Taiwanese to participate in the upcoming elections.

In Tokyo, Hsieh told an audience that the presidential election in March 2008 is an expression of Taiwanese will,
and that it is a choice between recognizing Taiwan as opposed to recognizing China.

During a speech at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, Hsieh stated that Taiwan has the right to join
international organizations as an independent, sovereign nation and emphasized that Taiwan is not governed by
China. He said that the key issues to be addressed in next year’s election are that of Taiwan’s security and national
identity along with economic policy.

Hsieh met with high-profile Japanese politicians during his four-day trip, including former Japanese Prime Minister
Yoshiro Mori, and Diet member Takeo Hiranuma, who is the president of the Alliance for Japan-Republic of China
(Taiwan) Friendship. Hsieh also visited the Japanese semiconductor producer Elpida Memory, which formed a joint
venture with Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor last year.

At his alma mater, Kyoto University, Hsieh said in a speech before faculty and students that he hopes to have a
dialogue on peace with China, but that the dialogue would not be “unconditional.”

Hsieh declared that Taiwan needs to boost its defense budget to more than three percent of its gross domestic
product because of the rising threat of attack by China. He also said that Taiwan needs the support of Japan and the
United States, which already have a joint security pact. "I believe the three nations need to set a common defense
goal historically and strategically," he said.

If elected, he pledged, he would uphold innovation, tolerance and diversity as his principle values.

Meeting with Diet member Takeo

Hiranuma.
Frank Hsieh speaking at Kyoto Frank Hsieh with supporters and
University to an enthusiastic crowd. fellow alumni at Kyoto University.
 5 DEMOCRACY & PROGRESS

KMT attempts to create chaos in the upcoming elections

With a 9-4 vote, the Central Election Commission (CEC) resolved that the legislative elections and two referenda to be held
in January 2008 will adopt a one-step voting procedure. A total of four ballots will be handed out together - two ballots for
the legislative election (one for a legislative candidate, and one selecting a political party, which will decide on the
distribution of the at-large legislative seats among parties) and two for the referenda – to be caste into separate boxes. The
DPP-supported referendum calls for the return of illegitimately acquired party assets amassed by the KMT during its
half-century rule of Taiwan.

Unsurprisingly, the KMT has once again threatened to create chaos and confusion in the January legislative elections by
refusing to abide by the rules and regulations set by the CEC. Claiming that the one-step procedure would be ‘confusing’ for
voters, the KMT and its pan-blue ally the People First Party have demanded local administrations under their party’s control
to adopt a ‘two-step’ procedure, where voters cast their legislative votes and then proceed to another stall to re-queue,
collect, and separately submit their referendum votes.

It is disturbing that the KMT has gone to a new low in its attempt to manipulate election results. Taiwan’s referendum law
requires a 50 percent threshold turnout in order for a referendum to be made into law. Under the KMT’s plan for a two-step
procedure, the voting experience becomes more time consuming for the electorate and will also require additional manpower
at each of the polling sites. This is once again another undemocratic election ploy that the KMT has chosen in their attempt
to deter voters from participating in the referendum, thus preserving KMT illicit party assets and perverting the course of
justice for the Taiwanese people.

Additionally, the KMT’s reasoning in regards to the supposed ‘difficulty’ voters would experience in comprehending the
one-step procedure is a mockery of and insult to the intelligence and the democratic understanding of Taiwanese voters. The
KMT’s threatened boycott of the one-step process on Election Day is a continued obstruction of the spirit of democracy. It is
also an insubordinate act that shows the true essence of the KMT: that of an outdated, stubborn and selfish party which
intents to hold on to power by any means necessary, regardless of the interest and the rights of the Taiwanese people.