方恩格快评》CNN假讯息 谁得利？

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笔者经常针对外国媒体的错误报导和外国学者对台湾的不正确评论提出意见。随着11月26日地方选举和2024年1月总统大选的脚步日近，以及更多外国的「专家」评论台湾的情势，预期会有更多类似违反事实的信息出现。

美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）「资深国际记者」威尔·黎普利（Will Ripley）在10月9日发表关于台湾民主化的视频报导，就是一个很好的例子。

在报告中，威尔·黎普利走访了绿岛并探讨白色恐怖时期的情况。在影片的1分18秒处，威尔·黎普利谈到蒋介石：「近半个世纪以来，他以铁腕统治，肃清政敌，主持审判，亲自批示处决数千人。」

蒋介石铁腕统治台湾，肃清政敌，这没有疑义。但威尔·黎普利的其余陈述确有瑕疵。

中华民国于1945年第二次世界大战结束时统治了台湾，1949年中央政府在共产党击败国民党的中国内战结束时迁往台北。蒋介石于1975年去世。这不是「近半个世纪」。如果硬要说「近半个世纪」，就算加上蒋经国统治台湾的时间，蒋经国在1988年去世，以致两蒋统治台湾的时间远少于「近半个世纪」。

笔者不知道有任何证据能够证明蒋介石主持了对他的政敌的审判，也许黎普利能够找到证据吧？

至于「亲自批示处决数千人」，白色恐怖绿岛纪念园区列出了1061名处决受害者。事实上，有证据表明蒋介石在白色恐怖时期亲自批准了一些处决。但是，他批准因为参加共产党地下组织而处决的数量，以及他批准因为参加反独裁或支持台独相关活动而处决的数量，是历史学家继续研究的问题。无论如何，黎普利关于蒋介石亲自批示处决数千人的说法事实上是不正确的。

关于白色恐怖时期的不正确报导是对实际受害者及其家属的不尊重。那个时期的白色恐怖事件，厘清所有肇事者的责任包括蒋介石在内，都应该以事实为依据。政客不应该操弄事实，外国记者也不应该参与这种炒作。

台湾政客惯于寻求外国记者和外国学者的正面报导，希望内容能起到「出口转内销」的效果。蔡英文总统在国庆演说中警告说，「台湾是信息战最受攻击的国家之一，这是一种非传统安全威胁，持续干扰我们民主制度的运作。」希望即将到来的九合一地方选举和总统大选，不会导致国内制造的信息战事件。

CNN’s Inaccurate Report About Taiwan’s White Terror Period: Who Benefits?

By Ross Darrell Feingold

Former Asia Chairman, Republicans Abroad

Twitter: @RossFeingold

This author often opines on the inaccurate content in foreign media reporting, and foreign scholar commentary, about Taiwan. With the local elections upcoming on November 26, and national elections in January 2024, and more foreign “experts” writing about Taiwan, we can expect more of such inaccurate information.

A video report by CNN’s “Senior International Correspondent” Will Ripley about Taiwan’s democratization published on October 9 is a good example.

In the report, Will Ripley visits Green Island and discusses the White Terror Period. At one minute 18 seconds of the video, Will Ripley says about Chiang Kai-shek: "For nearly half a century, he ruled with an iron fist, purging political opponents, presided over their trials, personally ordering thousands of executions".

It is accurate that Chiang Kai-shek ruled Taiwan with an iron fist and purged political opponents.

But the rest of Will Ripley’s statement is flawed.

The Republic of China took control of Taiwan at the end of World War II in 1945, and the central government relocated to Taipei in 1949 at the end of the Chinese civil war in which the Communists defeated the Nationalists. Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975. This is not “nearly half a century”. To approach “nearly half a century” one can add the period Chiang Ching-kuo ruled Taiwan, though Chiang Ching-kuo’s death in 1988 resulted in the period of the Two Chiangs rule in Taiwan being much less than “nearly half a century”.

This author is unaware of any evidence that Chiang Kai-shek presided over the trials of his political opponents. Perhaps Will Ripley can locate the evidence?

As for “personally ordering thousands of executions”, the Green Island White Terror Memorial Park lists 1,061 execution victims. There is in fact evidence Chiang Kai-shek personally approved some of the executions during the White Terror period. However, the number of executions he approved for involvement in Communist Party underground organizations in Taiwan, and the number of executions he approved for involvement in democracy advocacy or Taiwan independence advocacy, is a matter that historians continue to research. Regardless, Will Ripley’s allegation that Chiang Kai-shek personally ordered thousands of executions is factually inaccurate.

Inaccurate reporting about the White Terror period is disrespectful to the actual victims and their families. The terrible events of that period, and the responsibility of the perpetrators including Chiang Kai-shek, should be based on the facts. Politicians should not manipulate the facts, nor should foreign journalists participate in such manipulation.

It is the habit of Taiwan’s politicians to seek favorable reporting by foreign journalists and foreign scholars, in the hope that the content can provide a “If First Sold Overseas, Can Then Re-Sell in Taiwan” effect. President Tsai Ing-wen warned in her National Day speech that “Taiwan is one of the countries most targeted by information warfare, a non-traditional security threat that persistently interferes with the functioning of our democratic system.” Let’s hope that the upcoming local and national elections do not also result in incidents of domestically produced information warfare.

※ 以上言论不代表旺中媒体集团立场※