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給台灣總統馬英九的一封公開信
◎傑克·希利
秉著對你的職位與個人的崇高敬意，我決意寫這封公開信向你呼籲。寫這封信也是受到許多人的啟發與鼓勵，包括我熟識的美國台僑以及在台灣偶遇的友人。本著這個精神，希望你能細聽我的諍言。
台灣前總統陳水扁先生現正因案服刑，他已被囚禁超過四年，他的牢房面積只有六呎乘十呎，還要與一名受刑人共住。他一天只有一個小時獲准離開牢房，也就是一天二十三個小時留在牢房。不久之前，他只被准許離開牢房約半小時。陳先生現在身體不好，雖然他終於可以到醫院做些檢查，這對他的健康稍有助益，但不足以全面了解他的病況。
不同於秘魯的前總統藤森以及智利的皮諾切特，陳先生不曾有殘害人權的紀錄。然而這兩位有殘暴前科的前總統在監獄享受的待遇卻遠比陳先生優厚。在美國，許多地方性與全國性的政客也因案服刑，但是我們絕對不會以政治意識掛帥，有計劃的剝奪他們的醫療需求。你領導的中國國民黨與陳先生的民進黨雖然政治立場不同，但這不應被用來作為懲罰政敵的籍口。一個正常的民主國家，這種行為是違反人民授權給政府的最基本原則。
我要請問你，如果你提供陳先生必要的醫療保健，它會損害台灣整體的利益嗎？讓他住一間較大的牢房，會傷害台灣嗎？肯定這兩項普世人權也是對陳先生以前擔任的總統職位以及你現在的總統職位的尊重。任職掌權的政治人物起起落落，然而人權是普世價值恆久不變，即使是被監禁的犯人，他們的人權也不容被剝奪。
在華盛頓D.C.美國國會，陳前總統的健康和醫療已受到美國民主黨與共和黨議員的關注。這關懷行動極可能逐漸加強，國際上許多前國家領導人也可能陸續加入聲援行列。如果陳總統的健康更加惡化，你將被迫在特赦或任由他病死在獄中之間做一選擇，這兩項選擇的後果都會讓以後台灣的司法制度或政黨輪替的合法性面臨更高度的挑戰。
最近緬甸的翁山蘇姬，雖一度被軟禁，也獲准參選國會並贏得一席國會議員。即使殘暴的緬甸軍政府在她軟禁期間也不曾剝奪她的基本醫療人權，亦給予她相當的行動自由。她重獲自由之後，國際社會已解除對緬甸的各項制裁，緬甸的國際地位也與日俱增。
我們希望台灣當局對人民所珍視和努力保護的人權視為義務，讓全體台灣國民都享有基本醫療人權以及合於人性的居住空間。刻意否定非暴力受刑人的基本人權是令人難堪的，期期不可為之。台灣人民應該享有更好的人權傳統和行為準則。所有的人都必須享有，沒有例外。
傑克·希利 敬上
人權行動中心主任
Jack G. Healey
Director of the Human Rights Action Center
2012年7月20日
台灣時報 2012-07-24
【作者簡介】
傑克·希利（Jack Healey 生於1938年）是一個美國的人權活動家和先驅。傑克已參與超過47年的人權運動。 他被美國新聞與世界報導稱為“人權先生” ，希利的重點一直是激勵青年，支持非暴力的行動。
傑克·希利在華盛頓特區主持一個人權行動中心（HRAC），一個美國政府認證合格的非營利組織。自1999年起他即參與協助當時仍遭軟禁的緬甸民運領袖翁山蘇姬，紀錄並對外發表支援翁山蘇姬的言論。
An Open Letter to Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou
Jack Healey, the Founder of the Human Rights Action Center
President Ma,
I write you with considerable respect for both your position and your person. I also write you inspired by Taiwanese who I have known personally in the United States and have met with in Taiwan itself. It is in that spirit that I ask you to read these words. The former President Chen is serving time in prison for violating the law. He has served over four years since his conviction and has spent twenty three hours per day in a cell shared with another prisoner that is only six feet by ten feet. Permitted only an hour per day out of his cell, until recently he'd only been given thirty minutes a day. Mr. Chen's health is not good. His access to hospital finally allowed, the medical care he received was helpful but unable to fully survey his medical needs.
Unlike former Presidents Fujimori of Peru or Pinochet of Chile, Mr. Chen has no violent human rights record that he's been charged with. And yet, those violent former presidents have been treated better than Mr. Chen. In the United States, we have prosecuted and convicted politicians from the most local to national offices, but we do not systematically deny those people access to health care due to political differences. The political differences between your party's positions and those of Mr. Chen's party should not be used as a punitive weapon. In a functioning democracy, such behavior is an affront to the very principles that allow people to give mandates to governments.
Would it really harm the interests of Taiwan if you provided good health care to Mr. Chen? Would it harm Taiwan to provide a larger space for his incarceration? These two affirmations of human rights would honor the office Mr. Chen held previously and that you hold now. The individuals that hold office may come and go, but the imperatives for attention given to universal human rights standards should remain constant, even for those who are incarcerated.
Republican and Democratic concerns for former President Chen's health and treatment have begun to register in the Congress in D.C. This concern is likely to deepen and may soon include other former heads of state from various countries. If President Chen's health deteriorates much further, the choice may become more stark between a pardon or his death while in custody. Both of those outcomes would present stronger challenges to the Taiwanese legal system or the legitimacy of inter-party political transitions there.
Recently, Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi , a prisoner in her own home, was allowed to run and win a seat in the Parliament. Even in her period of incarceration, the brutal military regime recognized her imperatives for at least some medical care and more freedom of movement. The changes that have happened since her release has resulted in the suspension of sanctions in Burma and an increase in esteem for her country. We would hope that Taiwan would have a strong commitment to the human rights that its people have valued and tried to protect, and that all of its citizens would be treated with the basics of medical access and livable space allowed. Denying such fundamental respect to nonviolent convicts is particularly galling. The people of Taiwan deserve a greater legacy and an adherence to the principles of decency. All of humankind does.
Respectfully,
Jack G. Healey
Director of the Human Rights Action Center
2012-07-20
The Huffington Post / Jack Healey
http://search.huffingtonpost.com/search?q=jack+healey&s_it=header_form_v1
source: 台灣時報 & 台灣e新聞
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