In observance of the 57th anniversary of the historic Feb. 28 Incident, the 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally, organized by a civilian association and endorsed by the government, is scheduled to be held this afternoon.
At 2:28pm a human chain running between Hoping Island, off the northern tip of Keelung, and Oluanpi, in southern Pingtung County, will be formed as a democratic "Great Wall" to demonstrate the Taiwanese people's will for cross-strait peace and ethnic reconciliation. More than 1 million people are expected to participate in the largest demonstration yet in the nation's social movement.
Because the presidential election is only three weeks away, the timing of the rally will have a huge impact on the results of the campaign. Nevertheless, the broader implications of the event in terms of its contributing to the maturation of democracy should not be overlooked.
When Taiwanese people first earned the right to directly elect their president in 1996, the Chinese government launched missile tests in the Taiwan Strait with the aim of sabotaging the legitimacy of the election. Taiwan overcame China's military threat with strong determination, a brave heart and no fear.
In 2000, Taiwan's democratic consolidation was furthered by the nation's first-ever transition of power. After its five decades of authoritarian rule and "black gold" politics, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was forced to give up the presidency. A desire for change and reform are the main reasons for President Chen Shui-bian's (
Now, four years later, the Democratic Progressive Party has chosen the strategy of initiating a peace referendum as a mechanism for deepening Taiwan's democracy and as an attempt to establish a framework for peace and stability with the government in China.
The referendum issue has caused international concern because it plays into the concern that any referendum is an explicit action to pursue a de jure independence. The opposition here in Taiwan, without any legal grounds to object to the peace referendum, has encouraged people to boycott the referendum simply for electoral reasons.
The truth is that most of the international community and the opposition alliance here have failed to properly understand the pulse of the times in Taiwanese society.
Taiwan is probably the only Asian democracy to be founded with a purpose. The great phrases of that purpose still sound in every Taiwanese person's heart: "The people rule ... the people speak ... government by consent of the governed ... the future of the country should be decided by all Taiwanese through plebiscites."
All political parties and the leadership in this country should recognize the people's power and the people's will for a full-fledged democracy. The formation of a human chain on Feb. 28, 2004 is a gateway to peace and reconciliation.
After a decade of ambiguity on Taiwan's relationship with China, and in the face of Beijing's increasing missile threats and diplomatic saber-rattling, it is time for the 23 million people of Taiwan to speak up and ask for peaceful and equal treatment from the other side.
Moreover, because politicians have taken advantage of ethnic problems for political gain in the past couple of years, it is time for national reconciliation. Let there be no more ethnic problems. There is only a Taiwan problem. That is -- united we stand, divided we fall.
We should join hand in hand this afternoon to solve that problem. History books will record this monumental achievement not only because of what it means to the next generation but also because it represents a mission we pledge to complete.
Let's join together in this holy moment and show China and the world that the real "Great Wall" is not something made of stone, but rather something constructed on freedom and democracy.
As strategic tensions escalate across the vast Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan has emerged as more than a potential flashpoint. It is the fulcrum upon which the credibility of the evolving American-led strategy of integrated deterrence now rests. How the US and regional powers like Japan respond to Taiwan’s defense, and how credible the deterrent against Chinese aggression proves to be, will profoundly shape the Indo-Pacific security architecture for years to come. A successful defense of Taiwan through strengthened deterrence in the Indo-Pacific would enhance the credibility of the US-led alliance system and underpin America’s global preeminence, while a failure of integrated deterrence would
The Executive Yuan recently revised a page of its Web site on ethnic groups in Taiwan, replacing the term “Han” (漢族) with “the rest of the population.” The page, which was updated on March 24, describes the composition of Taiwan’s registered households as indigenous (2.5 percent), foreign origin (1.2 percent) and the rest of the population (96.2 percent). The change was picked up by a social media user and amplified by local media, sparking heated discussion over the weekend. The pan-blue and pro-China camp called it a politically motivated desinicization attempt to obscure the Han Chinese ethnicity of most Taiwanese.
On Wednesday last week, the Rossiyskaya Gazeta published an article by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) asserting the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) territorial claim over Taiwan effective 1945, predicated upon instruments such as the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation. The article further contended that this de jure and de facto status was subsequently reaffirmed by UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs promptly issued a statement categorically repudiating these assertions. In addition to the reasons put forward by the ministry, I believe that China’s assertions are open to questions in international
The Legislative Yuan passed an amendment on Friday last week to add four national holidays and make Workers’ Day a national holiday for all sectors — a move referred to as “four plus one.” The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who used their combined legislative majority to push the bill through its third reading, claim the holidays were chosen based on their inherent significance and social relevance. However, in passing the amendment, they have stuck to the traditional mindset of taking a holiday just for the sake of it, failing to make good use of
RSS