Freedom of speech for all
Under an executive order from the Ministry of Education, college students must not openly express, on campus, their support for any presidential candidate during the official campaign period, which began on Feb. 21.
Nothing can be more repulsive to my freedom of speech. I simply want to hold up a campaign sign and walk around campus to express my support for a particular candidate, without using a megaphone and without blocking campus traffic. Is there anyone who would be hurt by my actions?
Some feel that students should go off campus to express their opinions. I want to tell them about the time in 1986 when 800 students gathered against school rules to hear speeches protesting
censorship on campus.
I seek freedom of speech for the same reason that students shouldn't be asked to take their controversial writings and publications off campus.
Students have a constitutional right to express themselves through writing or parading a campaign sign. Why should students withstand a complete censorship of their political opinions when they do not tolerate a selective censorship of their writing?
Under the Constitution, any suppression of speech, a basic right, must be done by the legislature through passing a law, and not by executive order.
The Ministry of Education should apologize for depriving college students of their constitutional rights.
Alfred Tsai
National Taiwan University
Lien is dangerous
The debate between Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chair-man Lien Chan (連戰) and Presi-dent Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) last Saturday should be extremely unsettling to people living in Pacific Rim countries, including Canada, Japan, China and the US.
In the debate, Lien said, "The KMT supports limited war. We'll use the Taiwan Strait to win the first round and that will give us time to hold talks." He also repeated his claim that "one China" means the Republic of China (ROC). It seems clear from these comments that Lien does not recognize the facts of history. Since 1949, the Chinese Communist Party has been the sole and legitimate government of the PRC; yet Taiwan has not been administered by it.
Lien not only refuses to recognize these facts, but also threatens to use Taiwan as a military base for resurrecting the ROC. Last year, Lien helped organize an international conference in Taitung with the stated goal of combating communism. His outdated Cold War politics clearly threaten peace, stability, and environmental sustainability in the Pacific.
Lien is thus a menace to the peace and prosperity of the citizens of all countries in the Pacific Rim. I hope that the voters of Taiwan recognize Lien as a dangerous cold warrior and refuse to give him the power to threaten China in this way. Peace in the Taiwan Strait is in the best interest of all the countries of the Pacific Rim.
Scott Simon
Assistant professor
University of Ottawa
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