Taiwan reporter convicted of leaking military secrets

0 Comments | Asian Political News, July 28, 2003

TAIPEI, July 25 Kyodo

A local journalist on Friday was convicted of betraying state secrets by the Taipei High Court for his coverage of a military exercise three years ago.

Hung Tsi-cheng was sentenced to 18 months in jail, suspended for three years.

''The reporter is guilty because he obtained military secrets in an inappropriate way and then publicized them,'' the court said.

Hung was first accused of divulging military actions involving national security concerns in July 2000 after he filed a scoop for a newspaper regarding large-scale, routine military drills coded-named Hang Kwang No. 16.

The military exercise was considered particularly sensitive because it was held right after Taiwan underwent an unprecedented power transfer, in which the administration of pro-independence President Chen Shui-bian swept to power.

Last September, despite court testimony by three heavyweight parliamentarians who argued that none of Hung's articles infringed on Taiwan's national security, Hung was still indicted by prosecutors, becoming the first journalist to be charged with foreign aggression since the island abolished martial law in 1987.

In the meantime, his source, a former classmate in the military academy, was also convicted by the military court and imprisoned for leaking confidential information to the press.

On Friday, Hung said the court ruling has not only hurt him personally, but also dealt a severe blow to press freedoms in Taiwan.

''While Taiwan has been moving away from the shackles of martial law, we theoretically are moving into a mature democracy underpinned by political openness. Unfortunately, this court ruling serves as a stark irony to our understanding of an open society where the freedom of the press is cherished dearly,'' he told Kyodo News.

''This means local reporters who write unfavorable news stories in the eyes of the authorities will be treated in the same manner in the future,'' he said.

He said he will consider appealing the ruling to the Supreme Court in order to fight for press freedoms on the island.

The National Defense Ministry refused to make further comment on Hung's case, only saying it respects the court's decision.

The semiofficial Central News Agency quoted military officials as saying that Hung's case will serve to educate students in the military academy.