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It's not fair

If Taiwan had truly developed from a dictatorial regime into a mature democracy, the opposition would have accepted its defeat in the recent presidential election gracefully for the good of the country. Thus society would have continued to run smoothly after the election. In a democracy, the losing side concedes defeat and congratulates the winner in a spirit of sportsmanship -- no matter how close the vote. Instead, we descended into chaos.

Why? Because Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) and their underlings are still stuck in the dictatorial past, when the KMT had absolute political domination.

Rather than contributing to our growing democracy, the irrationally stubborn leaders of the KMT and the PFP provoked the disruption of society with post-election turmoil in a desperate ploy to seize the power they lost in the 2000 election.

With their incendiary speeches, rumors that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) staged an assassination attempt to gain votes, and baseless charges of vote fixing, these candidates misled the people about the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and urged their followers onward to attempt a kind of coup in which they condoned if not advocated violent acts and demanded Chen step down.

Even criminals were unleashed to compound the mayhem while the nation stood aghast and we were made a target of ridicule in the eyes of the world.

With their venomous language, Lien and Soong revealed to all their true natures -- unrepentant totalitarian rulers willing to regain their positions of power at any cost.

We can only hope that now that things have settled down, they will concede the election so that Taiwan can have a peaceful inauguration. We do not need another ruckus that wastes taxpayers' money controlling unruly crowds and that disturbs schools, hospitals and libraries, causes traffic jams and generally upsets the tranquility of society.

For the past four years, the pan-blue camp has undercut Chen's efforts to establish relations with China. Like dinosaurs that have outlived their era, Lien and Soong continue to advocate an outmoded policy toward China that does not respect Taiwanese identity and has not adapted to the political changes of the past decade.

For its part, the US needs to discard its antiquated policies toward Taiwan and adopt new strategies based on the facts rather than remain frozen in the past when Taiwan was a totalitarian regime under Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and the KMT. The new reality is that over the past decade Taiwan has abandoned the KMT ideology in favor of being an autonomous state that wishes to live in peace with China -- but as a separate political entity, not on the basis of Taiwan being considered a province of a communist regime.

I might add, not incidentally, that as a native Formosan of the Bunun tribe, I and hundreds of thousands of other Aborigines have never had any connection whatsoever with China. Aborigines are also a vital part of the new Taiwanese identity. Why should we be held hostage to obsolete US political policies and a communist regime's demands? This is what the world's misinformed nations seem to expect, despite the fact that these nations claim to support the democratic aspirations of peoples everywhere, and specifically to support the rights of indigenous groups.

US Vice President Dick Cheney recently said that if Taiwan declares independence, the US will not protect it from Chinese aggression. This is not fair! Many countries in the world have wanted to be free and the international community has helped them become independent and develop democratic governments. -- East Timor, the Balkans, the countries of Eastern Europe.

Why is Taiwan treated so differently? Even the thought of Taiwan declaring independence seems to provoke panic.

The problem is the "one China" policy. Neither former KMT government nor the PRC ever consulted the people of Taiwan, but made their claims by proclamation. Taiwan no longer has this kind of government nor does it have such aspirations, yet the US does not recognize the transformation Taiwan has undergone. Does Taiwan not have the right to determine its own destiny without being bullied and disrespected by the nations of the world?

Taiwan is already a free country. No one has to go to war to make us independent; no soldiers or civilians have to die for our freedom. Not one penny has to be spent to remove us from suppression by a dictator.

Yet when a communist nation demands that Taiwan be considered a province under its dominion, the whole world caters to the wishes of this authoritarian regime. Has the world gone crazy?

Judy Wu
Nantou
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