Journalists Acquitted of Libel Charges

A court acquitted four journalists at Hong Kong-based Asiaweek magazine in a libel suit over U.S. election campaign contributions. The case of U.S. journalist Ying Chan and Taiwanese reporter C. L. Hsieh, along with the magazine’s Hong Kong chief editor and its Taiwan director, was seen as a test of free speech in Taiwan. The judge ruled that the two reporters, who faced two years in jail, met the requirements of “good intent” under Taiwan’s criminal libel law. The journalists were sued by the chief financial officer of Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui’s Kuomintang Party, along with three party lawmakers, after the financial officer denied their reports that he offered a $15-million donation to President Clinton’s reelection campaign.