Reform in China
It wasn’t a surprise to see US President George W. Bush attend the Olympic opening ceremony in Beijing last Friday. After all, the US State Department removed China from its top 10 list of human rights violators in its annual report early this year, although China has never eased up on human rights abuse.
As an example, to show off the good side of Beijing during the Olympic Games, the Chinese government has evicted many of its citizens and destroyed many houses around Beijing. Moreover, many dissidents have either been detained or silenced before the Games.
China continues to block news Web sites such as the BBC’s Mandarin site and the Chinese-language Apple Daily in Hong Kong. Media censorship is rampant.
Beijing was given the right to host the Olympics because it had promised the International Olympic Committee that it would respect human rights, or at least loosen the grip on its nationals.
Then came the Tibet incident in April. We also saw Chinese students in South Korea hounding and hitting South Koreans who demonstrated against the torch relay in South Korea.
What is the best way to encourage reform in China? I do not see any measurable improvement in human rights in China. China has become a rising economic power after opening its door to foreign investment, but we have not seen any improvement in human rights situation.
To say that more contact with the outside world would pressure the Chinese government to ease its hold on basic freedoms and promote democracy is a dream.
For instance, Internet access to worldwide search engines such as Google and Yahoo has not forced China to improve its treatment of its citizens. On the contrary, Yahoo even enabled the Chinese government to hunt down one dissident, who was subsequently captured and jailed.
Bush had said that he would speak about respect for human rights and democracy when he met Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) during his visit. But did an international boycott change China after the Tiananmen Square incident? No, it appears that China is only willing to pay lip service to change. Its usual practice is to release one dissident from prison to pacify international criticism. The global outcry has not motivated China to make any constructive improvement.
By holding dialogue with the Dalai Lama’s representatives, China gives the outside world an impression that they are talking. We are wasting our time because we are too civilized and naive.
TIEN C. CHENG
Libertyville, Illinois
Planes or trains
Being a bit of a plane spotter it’s a shame to see that there will soon be few planes flying along the western corridor of Taiwan, as Chang Yu-hern wrote (“Let’s create a win-win situation for airports,” Aug. 11, page 8).
Not long ago, the Kaohsiung-Songshan route was one of the busiest, frequency wise, in the world. But the world moves on and the High Speed Rail has taken over.
With the increasing reliance on the High Speed Rail for fast transport, what will happen if there is another earthquake similar to the one that his Taiwan on Sept. 21, 1999. A tunnel could collapse or some of the 100-plus kilometers of track built above ground could topple. What then, back to the local train or chicken bus?
The total lack of security on the High Speed Rail is a source of concern to me, but is it to those running the system? Why take a plane when you can jump on a train, no ID nor X-rays, no waiting, just hop on board with a bag of this or a bottle of that. In 1999 a Uni Air MD90 was destroyed after a bottle of flammable liquid was taken on board. What would happen to a train moving at 300kph through a tunnel?
I’m all for the High Speed Rail, but have the airlines been allowed to compete on a level playing field? Add airport style security to the high speed rail and would it be as convenient a choice?
MICHAEL KEELEY
Tainan
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