The arms purchase bill affects our national security, the direction of cross-strait relations and government spending. This expensive purchase will siphon off money that could otherwise be spent on education and social welfare. It is intimately connected with the lives of ordinary people and is by far the most important policy promoted by the government in recent years. If Taiwan wishes to become a more mature and democratic society, public consultation is something that cannot be ignored.
We hope that both the government and the public can respect this reasonable demand, and that the people get to have a meaningful say on the matter.
Chang Ya-chung is a professor of political science at National Taiwan University and the convener of the Anti-Arms Purchasing Alliance. Hsieh Ta-nin is a professor of Chinese at the National Chung Cheng University and is the convener of the Democratic Action Alliance.
Translated by Jennie Shih and Ian Bartholomew
RSS