ALLIANCE FOR TRUTHS IN TAIWAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION We are a group of Chinese Americans in America who are concerned with what happened in Taiwan’s presidential election that took place last Saturday, March 20, 2004. We were, and still are, astonished and angered by the shooting of President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Annette Lu on the eve of the election.  This happened when they were standing together in front of a motorcade surrounded by their supporters as well as numerous security officers.   We are deeply disturbed by the following dubious incidents, however: First of all, as far as the shooting is concerned, there seemed to be a discrepancy between the angle at which Mr. Chen and Ms. Lu were injured and the angle of the bullets to the vehicle on which they were standing.  What is more inconceivable is that the police did not seal off the suspected crime scene and bullet shells that were found were found 10 kilometers from the suspected shooting. It is also difficult to understand why both Mr. Chen and Ms. Lu were driven to a remote Chih- Mei Hospital rather than the Hospital of National Cheng Kung University, which was much closer to them and is a designated emergency hospital for the president.  (The documents released by the Department of Security Affairs of the Presidential Office dated November 17, 2003 specify to this effect.) On the morning of March 19, special agents from the National Security Bureau went to Chih- Mei Hospital to conduct security check.  We still don't know why of all hospitals these agents had chosen to visit Chih-Mei. The shooting resulted in the activation of the national security mechanisms, thereby depriving some 200,000 military, law enforcement and public employees of their rights to vote. Furthermore, there are many disconcerting electoral irregularities.  For example, the spouse of DPP’s Chia-Yi County magistrate went into the electoral booth with two young children who cast ballots before she did.   There are also reports that show that some ballots were given to people who used false identifications, so that the genuine voters could not vote. On a larger scale, as first- and second-generation American immigrants from Taiwan, we would like to see a fair and honest system of democracy and justice be implemented in Taiwan.  It was with this expectation that we cautiously received Mr. Chen’s leadership four years ago. Unfortunately, what we have witnessed over the past four years is corrupt and incompetent partisan governance.  We feel that during this time President Chen has recklessly mobilized all resources to assure his re-election, at the expense of antagonizing and polarizing the society and the people on Taiwan.  What happened over the past two days magnifies the extent to which Taiwan is now divided. What happened during the re-election was neither democratic nor just in their true sense, and we are profoundly anxious to see the rule of law and the spirit of fairness be a part of the daily lives in Taiwan, starting now.  We want to warn President Chen and his government there is a bottom line to the manipulation of public opinion.  As the Chinese saying goes, water may carry the boat, and may overturn it.  The DPP government has the duty to truthfully account for the charges against it and to provide a clear roadmap of where it is going with the hostility that it has created.