Words matter. These are the best Chen Shui-bian Quotes, and they’re great for sharing with your friends.
We will strive to make Taiwan a better place and enable our people to live better lives.
It’s true I didn’t get a fair trial, but the problem is people don’t understand the details. It is important to understand the details of the trial and why I’m not guilty under the charges that were brought against me.
I believe in the greatness of our democracy.
I did business the same way President Lee did, and from what I read in the papers, the same way President Ma has done. But I have been charged for misuse and misappropriation. People need to learn at the most basic level that valid charges have not been brought against me.
Taiwan is an independent sovereign country.
I have great confidence in the universal value and in basic human rights and I have great confidence that referenda will eventually take root and become part of our daily lives in Taiwan.
The road to democracy may be winding and is like a river taking many curves, but eventually the river will reach the ocean.
The election result is not a victory that belongs to me or my party.
We must not demonstrate any arrogance, and we must refrain from any irrational or undemocratic behavior.
However, I must say that I am very happy to see that we have such a positive result for our first referendum in our history and that gives me more confidence in Taiwan’s democracy.
We must unify Taiwan; we cannot afford to have our society being divided in half.
The majority of Taiwan people cannot accept Taiwan becoming a second Hong Kong, nor can we accept Taiwan becoming a local government of the People’s Republic of China or a Special Administrative Region of China.
We sincerely ask the Beijing authorities across the Strait to view the election result from a positive perspective, to accept the democratic decision of the Taiwanese people.
Secondly I would like to make continuous efforts of stabilising cross Strait relations, eventually reaching peace across the Taiwan strait and stability and security in the Asia Pacific region.
The results of the two referenda demonstrate the majority view of the Taiwanese people.
I have great confidence in Taiwan’s democracy. I have great confidence in the universal value and in basic human rights, and I have great confidence that referenda will eventually take root and become part of our daily lives in Taiwan.
I understand the harsh feelings and sentiments from my opponents and their supporters because I myself have been defeated twice in my political life in the past and I understand very well it is hard to accept your own failure.
Even if I were knocked down by one gunshot it wouldn’t affect our democracy and I wasn’t knocked down and I have great confidence in our democracy and in Taiwan and in the people of Taiwan.
Over the next four years, I will continue to listen to different views and accept different suggestions.
During my 8 years in office, I set up a special investigatory branch as part of the highest court level. As it happened, from the time I set it up until now, I’m the one who has been investigated under that procedure. Of course, I had not expected this to happen.
We also intend to deal with the issue of incorporating basic human rights into our new constitution.
The election is over, and even though there are people who have different ideologies and beliefs, from now on we must all embrace each other, creating a harmonious and unified new Taiwan through our love and tolerance.
