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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 14-Sep-2017
14-Sep-17 World View -- Kidnapping and sham trial of Lee Ming-che brings China-Taiwan relations to another low

Web Log - September, 2017

14-Sep-17 World View -- Kidnapping and sham trial of Lee Ming-che brings China-Taiwan relations to another low

China kidnaps and tortures Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che for sham confession

by John J. Xenakis

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

China kidnaps and tortures Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che for sham confession
Kidnapping and sham trial of Lee Ming-che brings China-Taiwan relations to another low

China kidnaps and tortures Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che for sham confession

Taiwanese editorial cartoon depicting commonly held attitude toward China's trial of Lee Ming-che (News Lens)

Taiwanese editorial cartoon depicting commonly held attitude toward China's trial of Lee Ming-che (News Lens)

Lee Ming-che, a community college teacher in Taiwan who has posted criticisms of the mainland Communist Party of China (CCP), was kidnapped by Chinese authorities on March 19 in Macau, as he was traveling to China to visit a friend. There was no word of his fate until March 28, when Chinese authorities confirmed that he had been jailed on charges of "pursuing activities harmful to national security." Lee is the first Taiwanese to be accused based on a new law that specifies harsh punishment for CCP critics.

Lee was not permitted visits by his family, and he had no lawyer except one appointed by the CCP. Only when his trial began, on Monday, September 11, were his wife and mother permitted to see him in the courtroom.

On Monday, the CCP released videos of Lee confessing to his alleged crimes, referring to comments written in an instant messaging group:

"I spread some attacks, theories that maliciously attacked and defamed China’s government, the Chinese Communist Party and China’s current political system, and I incited the subversion of state power."

There are few people who doubt that Lee's "confession" was coerced, probably by means of torture.

Lee’s wife Lee Ching-yu said to the Taiwanese media, "Please forgive Lee Ming-che if you see him doing or saying something disturbing in court under duress. That is just the Chinese government skillfully extracting a 'guilty confession.'" Taipei Times (28-Mar) and Reuters and News Lens (Taiwan)

Kidnapping and sham trial of Lee Ming-che brings China-Taiwan relations to another low

The Chinese kidnapped, jailed, tortured, coerced a confession from and tried in court someone who was effectively a nobody, and nothing that he said could possibly have done any harm to the Chinese government. So the question arises why China would spend millions of dollars to do this with no apparent purpose.

According to Taiwanese Judicial Reform Foundation executive director Kao Jung-chih, the timing of the trial was deliberately set for Monday to stop Lee’s wife, Lee Ching-yu, from traveling to Geneva, Switzerland, on Sept. 10 and reporting on her husband’s case at a meeting of the UN working group on arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances, since the court trial disqualified Lee Ming-che as a victim of enforced disappearance, which international law treats as a crime against humanity.

Many analysts believe that China is using the Lee case to send a warning that a crackdown on Taiwan is coming. According to one analyst:

"Beijing has been in the mode of demonstrating that China is not happy with Taiwan and can cause Taiwan pain in a variety of ways. In that sense, Beijing welcomes a deterioration of relations with Taiwan."

Taiwan's premier William Lai begged China to return Lee to Taiwan: "Lee works at a non-profit organization as a human rights advocate. There is no way he could subvert the Chinese government. I felt sorry for Lee being forced to confess at a trial in a manner nobody could accept." Sentinel (Taiwan) and VOA and Taipei Times and News Lens (Taiwan)

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(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 14-Sep-17 World View -- Kidnapping and sham trial of Lee Ming-che brings China-Taiwan relations to another low thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (14-Sep-2017) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 14-Sep-2017 14-Sep-17 World View -- Kidnapping and sham trial of Lee Ming-che brings China-Taiwan relations to another low

China kidnaps and tortures Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che for sham confession

Kidnapping and sham trial of Lee Ming-che brings China-Taiwan relations to another low

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 14-Sep-2017
14-Sep-17 World View -- Kidnapping and sham trial of Lee Ming-che brings China-Taiwan relations to another low