Editorial: Taiwan at a crossroads

Taipei's rang with political slogans last weekend, as pro-independence and pro-unification forces staged demonstrations to trumpet their demands. If these rival rallies were considered a measure of "people voting with their feet," then the will of the majority was crystal clear.

The "Call Taiwan Taiwan" march on Saturday attracted an estimated 150,000 people, while fewer than 10,000 participated in the "Defend the Republic of China" march on Sunday. The pro-independence forces have broken through the psychological barriers that has kept this nation tied to China for so long and bravely stepped forward to express their political stance. With their action, the marchers proved that "the people have the right to take political stances." This is another milestone in the development of the nation's democracy.

Under Chiang family's authoritarian system, the people were unable to speak about or take action to realize the concept of Taiwan as a sovereign country. People who called for Taiwan's independence were labeled as accomplices of the "Communist bandits." During the 228 Incident, the White Terror period and the Kaohsiung Incident, many people were jailed or even killed for advocating independence. Following Taiwan's democratization, the National Security Law (國家安全法) still prohibited "separatism" and communism. The ban is still in effect, which is a legal constraint to independence.

After Taiwan moved toward democracy and a more open society, independence advocates were no longer subject to arrest or imprisonment. But Taiwan's independence still faces international diplomatic hurdles. These include national security considerations -- China's threat to attack if Taiwan declares independence -- and the fact that the US does not support the idea because declaring independence would destroy the basis of the Taiwan Relations Act.

Given internal and external constraints, even former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) had to curb his personal beliefs during his 12 years in power. His appearance at Saturday's march marked the breaking of his own constraints as well as the people's psychological barriers against independence. The independence platform has now been put out in public for the people to decide upon.

For more than 50 years people in Taiwan had to shout "fight [our way] back to the mainland; unify China." But support for unification has been shrinking gradually. This is due as much to the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) inability to realize its own slogans as to the Beijing government's inability to convince the people of Taiwan that it will respect their democracy, human rights and the rule of law. On top of this came China's heavy-handed suppression of Taiwan on all fronts. This includes blocking international aid to Taiwan during the SARS epidemic, blocking Taiwan's entry into the World Health Organization and attempting to change Taiwan's name at the WTO. The uproar over Article 23 legislation in Hong Kong has also contributed to Taiwan's gradual distancing from China.

The unification camp is not only shrinking but also bitterly divided. Even though the two demonstrations on Sunday were both aimed at defending the Republic of China, the extreme pro-unification stance of the Chinese Unification Alliance, which organized the afternoon march, appealed only to a very small minority. The organizers of the morning rally -- including the Republic of China Association of Professors -- kept a distance from the alliance. The two separate demonstrations show that both the KMT and the People First Party still have fears about unification even though they advocate "one China."

Taiwan at a crossroads. No one knows whether the country will opt for unification or independence in the future, but the opinions have now been put on the market. Let the people decide.