A people who have suffered under long-term oppression at the hands of a foreign power often begin to see themselves as second-class citizens, and feel subservient to their foreign political leaders. In severe cases this can come to resemble what is known as Stockholm Syndrome, where the people actually recognize the legitimacy of the oppressors, start to pander to them and feel the need to please them. After a while, they start to feel at ease in their new reality, and are even content when shown small acts of generosity.
Over the past few months, the foreign Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has been holding its chairmanship contest, and the competition between the two candidates, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), egged on by the media, has been getting more and more heated.
Now, this is their own affair, but Wang, who was born and raised in Taiwan, has been pulling out all the stops in his criticism and misrepresentation of former president Lee Teng-hui's (
To improve his chances of winning the chairmanship, Wang even went to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and swore before the bronze bust there that he opposed Taiwanese independence. This was simply pandering to the Mainlander elements within the party, in a bid to secure more votes for his candidacy.
When he was still alive, Sun Yat-sen (
Wang is trying to draw an ideological line between himself and Lee. He has clearly abandoned any idea of autonomy for the Taiwanese people. He opposes the idea of rectifying Taiwan's name in favor of maintaining the false name of the Republic of China (ROC). But does this really offer any guarantee that China will refrain from using military force against Taiwan?
Wang is opposed to the rectification of Taiwan's name, he is against writing a new constitution and he rejects the idea of Taiwanese independence -- and yet he shows no objection to the barbaric legislation that is China's "Anti-Secession" Law. Could it really be that Wang wants to follow in the footsteps of KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and allow China to swallow up Taiwan by colluding with the communists against the pro-independence parties?
If Taiwan is not an independent nation, how does one explain the existence of the legislature? Why not downgrade it to the status of a legislative council? In fact, why not lower the status of Wang himself, as he is really only the speaker of the legislative council of a special region.
If Wang opposes the idea that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation, how can he commandeer a warship to protect our fishing rights? And what of Taiwan's international status?
Wang is the speaker of the legislature, yet he betrays an ignorance of politics and fails to recognize Taiwan as a nation in its own right. Again, it's no wonder that the legislature is sinking further and further into the mire as time goes on.
Right before our eyes, Taiwanese politicians within the pan-blue camp show they are willing to be second-class figures, hold back from speaking their minds and let themselves become Sinicized. They are turning into two-faced people whose words reflect what is expedient depending on the circumstances they are in.
A people governed by a foreign power often harbor a sense of guilt and are afraid of offending their oppressors. This self-abasement has been manifested in the recent pandering to Beijing's talk of peace by these Taiwanese politicians, who are suppressing their own sense of national identity. Such politicians are in desperate need of help to correct the distorted way in which they see things. It's up to Taiwanese who see things more clearly to save them.
William J.K. Lo is secretary-general of the Taiwan United Nations Alliance.
TRANSLATED BY PAUL COOPER
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