The Modern Version of Ancient Adage: “Penalties Do Not Reach High Officials”

  The Modern Version of Ancient Adage: “Penalties Do Not Reach High Officials”

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

July 26, 2019

 Translation of an Excerpt

The scandal of duty-free cigarette-smuggling by national security special agents broke out a week ago; under critical public opinion, the Presidential Palace and China Airlines several times expanded the list of officials being punished, but popular grievances could hardly be smoothed out. The crux of the matter is that over two years ago, the Tsai government amended the law to hike the cigarette tax in a large scale, from originally NT$11.8 per pack to NT$31.8, using the additional NT$20 per pack in long-term elderly care. This move is tantamount to commandeering the people's money for social welfare. Who knew now the government condoned and allowed national security special agents to smuggle duty-free cigarettes in a large scale, utilizing presidential foreign tours as an easy corridor for personal smuggling gains; no wonder the grassroots masses blew their tops.

One pundit described the scandal by saying this is like “people make money for the government to spend”. As an ancient adage in Chinese goes, "penalties do not reach high government officials"; isn’t this an apt description of the current scandal?

What is worth noting is that in the past week, when the Presidential Palace and China Airlines, commenting on the issue of accountability regarding cigarette smuggling by national security special agents, several times some of their statements transgressed the rule of law and blind obedience to authorities; this is indeed incredible. For instance, the spokesman of the Presidential Palace described the cigarette smuggling by national security special agents as "ordering cigarettes exceeding the quota", deliberately evading the accountability for transgressions of law, collusion and duties evasion. President Tsai even called the scandal an "established bad habit"; aside from diluting fact involving the transgression of law, she also deliberately entangled the preceding administration, shifting the onus to the Ma Ying-jeou government, and attempting to give guidance to the prosecutors and investigators in handling the case.

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