The people of Taiwan showed an astonishing determination and unity on Saturday, when close to 2 million people joined hands to form a human chain that stretched from the northern to the southern end of the country. They said "yes" to Taiwan and "no" to China. To the international community they said, "We are here!"
The human-chain rally was a milestone in the history of this nation's political movements. In the past, a rally of several tens of thousands of people would be enough to stun the Cabinet. In 1997, when Lien Chan (連戰) was concurrently serving as vice president and premier, close to 100,000 people took to the streets to protest deteriorating public safety. The protest led to Lien's resignation as premier. Saturday's rally set a record for the number of people taking to the streets at one time. Its consequences may prove far more impactful.
The size of the rally was a stunning accomplishment, but was still not large enough a figure for the main game, because 2 million votes is not enough to get a presidential candidate elected. The magic number needed for the March 20 election is 6.5 million. Pro-green camp forces still need to work hard to reach this mark in the face of a largely pro-blue camp media.
The human chain far exceeded the 1989 Baltic Chain in terms of numbers. But the Baltic rally was aiming instead for international support for the independence movements of the three Baltic states. Taiwan's rally has also attracted international attention, but the demands made at the rally were abstract and did not provide specific goals and methods to consolidate international support. Even though the rally's numbers far exceeded those of last year's 200,000-strong mobilization calling for a change to the country's official name, the demands presented at that time were far more precise.
Yet the rally may be of critical significance to the nation's future development. It was a democratic experiment pushing for a national political agenda. And it was a hugely successful experiment: The people of Taiwan have already grasped the fact that they can take the initiative in expressing their will directly. This is a concrete result of the deepening of Taiwan's democracy.
However, a successful experiment does not guarantee successful results.
The most important task now is to ensure that a leader who can represent public opinion and staunchly defend Taiwan's democratic path be elected on March 20, as well as maximizing the referendum vote against China's missile threat and for peaceful cross-strait negotiations.
The people of Taiwan are accustomed to representative democracy. Now they have a more direct and more effective way to express their opinion -- referendums. Referendums will be an important catalyst in the transition of the political culture. They will be a shield against China's subtle rhetorical weapon of "one country, two systems." They will also strengthen public oversight of major national policies and give Taiwan an enhanced voice in the international community.
The hand-in-hand rally has made the people of Taiwan understand that democratic power really is in their hands. This precious power already exists in their hearts. May both continue to grow and mature.
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