陳水扁：我就是臺獨者

Former Taiwanese leader admits being ‘splittist' for independence

Chen Shui-bian, the former president of Taiwan credited with cementing the island's transition from dictatorship to democracy, has admitted to being the “splittist” that China has long accused him of being in a lengthy prison diary, excerpts of which have been obtained by the Financial Times.

In the 100,000-word political declaration, the “Son of Taiwan”, whose trial for alleged corruption and embezzlement begins today, makes a plea for Taiwan independence and tells Beijing, which considers Taiwan a mere province, that he pursued a course of explicit independence from the very beginning of his presidency.

“I am a splittist. I am a seeker and implementer of de jure independence for Taiwan,” he writes in a diary whose publication tomorrow is eagerly awaited by the Taiwanese public.