US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI859

UNCLAS TAIPEI 000859 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - 
ROBERT PALLADINO 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, KPAO, TW, Human Rights/TIP 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 
 
 
1. Summary: Four major Chinese-language dailies and two 
limited-circulation English-language newspapers in 
Taiwan reported March 2 on the "Country Reports on 
Human Rights Practices for the Year 2004," which was 
released by the State Department Monday.  These 
reports, all straight news coverage carried on the 
inside pages of the newspapers, said the State 
Department report generally praises the state of human 
rights in Taiwan but points out a number of problem 
areas such as detainees abused by the police, 
corruption by officials, violence and discrimination 
toward women, child prostitution and abuse, and 
narcotic use by women and children. 
 
2. The "United Daily News," a major pro-unification 
daily in Taiwan, pointed out that in the State 
Department's Human Rights Report, Taiwan is categorized 
under China, but was separated from Tibet, Hong Kong, 
and Macao.  It also noted that the Human Rights Report 
commented on Taiwan's news reporting as "erratic," due 
to the fact that the media often violates privacy and 
operates based on government advertisements and 
government loans.  The centrist "China Times," however, 
focused on the fact that the Human Rights Report 
described in detail the pre-election shooting incident 
on March 19 and its influence on Taiwan's 2004 
presidential election.  Three newspapers' reports were 
based on the Central News Agency's story sent from 
Washington.  Headlines of these reports followed. 
 
A) "U.S. State Department Human Rights Report: Many of 
Taiwan's Media [Organizations] Live on Government 
Loans; Quality of [Taiwan's] News Reporting Erratic; 
[Human Rights] Report Also Said Taiwan Government 
Denies That It Manipulates the Media"  (P.10, by 
Washington correspondent Vincent Chang, [conservative, 
pro-unification] United Daily News [circulation: 
600,000], 3/2/05) 
 
B) "United States' 2004 Human Rights Report Describes 
in Details Controversies of Taiwan's Presidential 
Election" (P.11, by Washington correspondent Liu Ping, 
[centrist, pro-status quo] China Times [circulation; 
600,000], 3/2/05) 
 
C) "Taiwan's Human Rights [Condition] Wins 
International Approval; U.S. State Department Report 
Praises Taiwan's Freedom of Speech But Points out Flaws 
in Judicial [System]" (P.7, Central News Agency 
Washington dispatch, [pro-independence] Taiwan Daily 
[circulation: 150,000], 3/2/05) 
 
D) "U.S. Report: Politics Interfered with Taiwan's 
Media"  (P.7, [tabloid] Apple Daily [circulation: 
500,000], 3/2/05) 
 
E) "Human Rights Need Work: US" (P.2, by Washington 
correspondent Charles Snyder, [pro-independence, 
English-language] Taipei Times [circulation: 30,000], 
3/2/05) 
 
F) "U.S. Report Positive on Rights in Taiwan" (P.19, 
Central News Agency Washington dispatch, [conservative, 
pro-unification, English-language] China Post 
[circulation: 30,000], 3/2/05) 
 
KEEGAN