The comfort women issue is an explosive and emotional issue for many Taiwanese. It was simply a blatant violation of human rights. There is and never should be any excuse for Japan's wrongdoings during World War II.
It's even more outrageous for many politicians, most notably Elmer Feng
What have legislators like Feng done for "real" social problems in Taiwan? I am talking about the issues that are right on our door step.
Living in Hualien, we all know that there is an explosive problem of child prostitution. This issue warrants the attention of all of the people of Taiwan, not just the charitable organizations such as Tzu-Chi (慈濟) and Mennonites.
We all know that the Taiwanese Cement Company was located in the middle of beautiful Hualien City, despite strong opposition from the citizen of Hualien. Its fleet of cement trucks rolling in and out of Hualien is causing havoc, not to mention countless fatal accidents. We all know that despite physician glut on the other side of the mountain, there's a grave shortage of qualified medical personnel in Hualien County. Tuberculosis and many other commutable diseases (eg the infamous hantavirus incident) are screaming for attention. Yet very few public health measures are being undertaken here.
Why aren't these issues being brought to the attention of the public more often so they can be scrutinized by the public and the media? Because these issues don't give politicians any brownie points. These are not emotionally charged issues like comfort women or Japanese imperialism which incite the public and consolidate a politician's hidden agenda (ie, Feng and the New Party's drive to embarrass the ruling party).
My heart goes out to the former comfort women. But before praising these politicians' enthusiastic response, I'd like to share a crude piece of advice from the youth pastor of the church I attended while I was studying in the US: Sometimes you have to think with the right "head," the "head" up there, not down there.
Kenny Liu
Hualien
Protect freedom of speech
I'd like to express my strongest protest to the government of Taiwan for its decision to deny the entry request of Yoshinori Kobayashi, the author of On Taiwan. It is an insult to the principle of the freedom of speech. The Chen administration has lost all what it claimed in the past to be willing to hold up: freedom for everybody and the sovereignty of Taiwan. This government has lost its credibility. As a citizen, I strongly request the government reverse such a betrayal of liberalism. Otherwise, I condemn this government most strongly!
Sing Young
Taoyuan City
Learn from history
Has Taiwan learned anything from its own history over the past 100 years? Recent China fervor indicated it may not be so. Ching China ceded Taiwan to Japan and the people of Taiwan suffered 50 years under Japanese colonial rule. Chinese Nationalists recovered Taiwan from Japan and the people of Taiwan lived under martial law for 40 years. Did these calamities reveal any lessons at all to the people of Taiwan?
What did we do to deserve so much pain and injustice during that period? Nothing. The culprit is that we were not our own master then. We were simply subjects under China and Japan's domination. That was our shame when we had the 228 incident. That was our shame when we had comfort women being exploited. That was our shame when we had to live under martial law for 40 years. To avoid repeating the mistakes of its past, Taiwan needs to be its own master and to strongly fend off the aggressors both economically and militarily.
And equally important, Taiwan needs to retain a true democracy. With history in mind, the choice is easy and clear for Taiwan when it comes to consider its relationship with China now. After all, who wants to be a pawn and run the risk of being betrayed again? Unfortunately, market interests, raw materials, labor, and capitalists seem to drive us in the opposite direction.
John Yang
Columbus, Ohio
Citizens need more power
I agree with the opinions expressed in Ku Chung-hua's (顧忠華) article regarding the rights of citizens in a mature civil society ("Plebiscites can control those wily politicians," Mar. 1, page 8), but I am curious (nay, extremely interested) in hearing a viable approach to keeping power from concentrating in the hands of a small group of citizens. The ongoing inability of Taiwan to have a referendum on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (核四) provides an excellent example.
There has been no (and probably will not be a) referendum because the powerful elite who control access to such a process stand to lose much of their power over ordinary citizens and the course of the country if they allow it. There is also concern, rightly, that the media (Taipei Times excepted of course) is not a reliable means of disseminating accurate information necessary for a plebiscite to work.
Citizens would exchange a powerful political elite for a powerful media elite, not that such a distinction is necessarily meaningful or even currently the case. So, what do we -- ordinary citizens -- do? (In the interests of full disclosure, I think the fourth nuclear plant is a mistake, but then I also haven't heard anything that sounds like a viable alternative.)
Chris Heinrich
Chung-Ho
It has given me the greatest joy and hope to read Ku's incisive essay on the subject of public referendums in Taiwan.
Undoubtedly the inception of such a political forum as a plebiscite into Taiwan's democratic system will benefit all people in the broadest sense.
Ching H. Li
Jersey City, New Jersey
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.