Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/06/16

Hong Kong, June 15 (CNA) The following is the full text of the former President Ma Ying-jeou’s teleconference speech at the award dinner of the Society of Publishers in Asia Wednesday evening:

Chairman Warhola; Distinguished guests; Members of SOPA; Ladies and gentleman good evening! (各位朋友,我是馬英九, 大家好) Before I start my speech, I would like to express my profound regrets that I am unable to deliver my speech in person on this prestigious occasion.

The reason for my absence is quite curious. The new administration in Taiwan, which took office less than a month ago, considers that my trip to Hong Kong might cause some national security problems. Those problems include possible leakage of state secrets and inadequate protection of my personal safety. So my request to visit Hong Kong for only seven hours to give a speech was, unfortunately, rejected by the Presidential Office. Well, I didn’t know that Hong Kong is such a dangerous place. Ladies and gentlemen, you better watch out! No matter whether these reasons are convincing or not, as a former president of the Republic of China on Taiwan, I always do my duty to my country. So I respect the authority of my successor, President Tsai Ing-wen, to make this decision. For not being able to join you all here tonight, please accept my sincere apologies, although it’s probably not me who should be apologizing to you. So, let me begin my talk right now before I leak any more state secrets.     [FULL STORY]