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Disgraced former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian yesterday began serving a 19-year sentence for corruption, but analysts said  he would continue to have an influence on the island's pro-independence camp.
Chen, 60, who became the first  former leader of the island to be jailed, was convicted  last month of corruption while  president from 2000 to 2008.
Yesterday, he was taken from the detention centre, where he had been kept since December 2008, to the Taipei Penitentiary.  
Chen, known as prisoner number 1020, was first sentenced to life imprisonment by the District Court in September last year, but the  High Court reduced the sentence to 20 years in prison in June.
Dozens of supporters rallied outside the detention centre, shouting 'A-Bian, not guilty' and 'A-Bian, innocent', as he was led out into a police bus. 
Chen's office yesterday also announced the formation of a group to promote the 'core values' of the previously established One China, One Taiwan State alliance and to seek domestic and foreign support  for its case that the former leader's conviction was politically motivated. 
Chen's son, Chen Chih-chung, who won a seat on the Kaohsiung City Council in Saturday's municipal elections, is also involved in the alliance. 
Chen  was stripped, searched and his hair cut  before he was admitted to a prison cell  which he will share with another inmate. 'This is a standard procedure that he receive a health and body check,' prison spokesman Wu Hsin-yen said. Chen appeared calm throughout the examination. 
Chen, who has been stripped of privileges granted him as a former leader, could no longer keep the pocket television and radio sets he was allowed at the detention centre. 
Legal experts said that after deducting his two years spent in detention,  Chen would have to serve at least 11 years in prison before he was eligible for parole. 
His  wife, Wu Shu-chen, 57, was also sentenced to 19 years in jail for  the same corruption charges.  But the judicial authorities have yet to decide when or how to place her in jail. Wu, paralysed from the waist down and in poor health, has remained free.  
Chen Chih-chung visited his father at the detention centre  before he was taken to prison. 'My father remained at peace and  said he would face whatever came,' he said. 
Shouting 'Solidarity to save Taiwan' and 'Taiwan and China are countries on each side of the Taiwan Strait', supporters insisted Chen was innocent and was jailed because mainland-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou co-operated with Beijing in punishing his promotion of Taiwanese independence.
Despite his detention, Chen has been able to retain his influence because of his pro-independence stance, which won support from hardcore followers who believe the Democratic Progressive Party betrayed him by failing to save him from disgrace.
Chen Chih-chung said he would follow in his father's footsteps to promote the idea that 'Taiwan and China are countries on each side of the Taiwan Strait'.
While some pundits believed Chen's influence would diminish over time, Dr Shih Cheng-feng, dean of the college of indigenous studies at National Dong Hwa University,  said it would be foolish to discount the former leader's political charm.
'The One China, One Taiwan State alliance, which represents hardline pro-independence values, will continue to win support from members hoping to safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty,' Shih said, and would have an impact on next year's legislative elections.
Already, some radical DPP members have  called for  the resignation of  the party's moderate chairwoman, Dr Tsai Ing-wen, who they believe has moved the party away from its staunch pro-independence stand in favour of  pleasing middle-of-the-road voters.



Chen begins jail sentence but keeps his influence on pro-independence camp