Print

Mail

wiki links

In consideration of our forefathers

`On the one hand I was so touched by this history that I wanted to dance and cry at the same time. On the other hand I sighed deeply that most Taiwanese don't know about it. Restoring history and giving our forefathers their due became the most important motivation for me in those two years of tireless work.'

Taiwanese pioneer Chiang Wei-shui (蔣渭水) founded two important organizations in the history of Taiwan's modern nationalist movements: the Taiwan Culture Association (台灣文化協會) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 台灣民眾黨). The five year period from the founding of the Taiwan Culture Association in October 1921 to its splitting up at the end of 1926 was a time of unprecedented national unity.

The TPP was created in July of 1927 during new national and international circumstances as a response to the breakup of the Taiwan Culture Association. Chiang resolutely overcame difficulties and divisions and established the first modern party in Taiwanese history for the benefit of the great majority of Taiwanese, who had been oppressed by the "two bright suns shining down on Taiwan": the development of the Japanese localization socialist movement and the progress of the Chinese modern nationalist revolutionary movement. He also established the organization in accordance with the multiple fronts that had developed in the resistance movement against the Japanese after the Taiwan Culture Association had split up. Gradually he established "a nationalist movement with the workers and peasant class as its foundation."

After three years and seven months of struggle, the TPP developed from a rather hopeless party to winning the trust and support of 4 million fellow Taiwanese, as well as the recognition of Japan, China and the international community. With natural enthusiasm and confidence, Chiang loftily stated: "Ideally, I hope that the TPP can become the party that is the leading organization of the liberation movement of the Taiwanese people." He believed that to achieve this goal, it had to "maintain its ideals, while focusing on reality."

This goal was far from being a fairy tale or an impossible mission. The national unity that Chiang created following the founding of the Taiwan Culture Association was similar to that of a previous movement -- the unity and strength created by Sun Yat-sen's (孫中山) Chinese nationalist revolution, which was still being felt.

Comparing the two leaders from an historical angle, we can see that the role Chiang played in Taiwan's modern civil movement was the same as Sun's in the modern nationalist revolution in China. Consequently, Chiang became "the Sun Yat-sen of Taiwan."

About 30 years ago, I was working 12 to 14 hours a day, researching and writing about this historical period. I was deeply moved by what I found. I learned about the lofty ideals, persistent determination and the high quality of our forefathers' style and ability. Yet most of this is ignored in modern Taiwan, forgotten by our forefathers' children and grandchildren.

On the one hand I was so touched by this history that I wanted to dance and cry at the same time. On the other hand I sighed deeply that most Taiwanese don't know about it. Restoring history and giving our forefathers their due became the most important motivation for me in those two years of tireless work.

Thirty years have passed and changes have been made in cross-strait relations and domestic politics. "Localization" and "creating a Taiwanese consciousness" have become popular political terminology. But 80 years ago, people with foresight like Chiang Wei-shui, with their wisdom and courage, were already on this turbulent piece of land, showing great moral courage, and writing beautiful, heroically tragic poetry.

In 1977, before the Kaohsiung Incident, Kang Ning-hsiang (康寧祥), one of the most important representatives of the dangwai (黨外, "outside the KMT"), said in a symposium that I hosted: "Chiang was a politician with much vigor and cordiality.

"He had charisma, his political movements were organized very well, he was resourceful and influential. I don't think any of the politicians that I have known in Taiwan in the past 80 years can compare to Chiang," he said.

In the past 100 years, three political leaders best represent their respective generations. Chiang is the forerunner of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), and Lee is the forerunner of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). Of those three, Chiang has contributed the most to the localization movement. Although he was a doctor, when he died he had used up all his family possessions for the Taiwan he wanted to heal, leaving behind an unpaid phone bill.

Recently, the presidential candidates of the two big political parties, Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) for the Democratic Progressive Party and Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), engaged in a historical dialogue.

Under the shadow of Chiang, they looked down on history from a lofty angle, expounding on past and present, inheritance and their future vision. I hope this historical and political dialogue did not just show the style and qualities of the two presidential candidates, but can also help in improving domestic politics as well.

Huang Huang-hsiung is the founder of the Taiwan Research Fund and the chairman of the Chiang Wei-shui Foundation.

Translated by Anna Stiggelbout
This story has been viewed 1402 times.