Is democracy dying?
Taiwan appears to be losing its democratic brand, and believers in democratic values and human rights should look on with grave concern at recent developments. We may be witnessing a fundamental change in Taiwan as democratically elected politicians restrict democratic participation.
The latest matter for concern is the Act Governing the Administrative Impartiality of Public Officials (公務人員行政中立法), which denies research fellows at public academic institutions and public servants the basic democratic right to participate in normal political debate.
From June 10, public employees were not allowed to openly support political parties, political organizations or candidates. In addition, they are denied the right to hold meetings, initiate rallies or lead petitions.
The legislature, which is three-quarters dominated by the pan-blue camp, has passed a resolution to apply the restrictions to all faculty at public universities by next month.
If these initiatives are implemented, Taiwan’s young democracy will be in danger and the nation will lose international support.
Taiwan has been praised for its democratic achievements and the world continues to support Taiwan largely for that reason.
It would be a tragic mistake if pride in out-of-date and mistaken concepts were to undermine the importance of sharing a democratic future and in the process allow authoritarian ideas to resurface.
It is a delicate question: At what point would Taiwan cease to be a democracy? Democracy is not only about holding regular elections; it requires open and free conversations and free political debate among all citizens.
The Act Governing the Administrative Impartiality of Public Officials and the attendant legislative resolution are dangerous developments. They will not help Taiwanese and risk diminishing support for Taiwan in the community of democratic nations.
MICHAEL DANIELSEN
Chairman, Taiwan Corner,
Copenhagen, Denmark
Razzamatazz indeed
Michael Fagan claims in his letter that the World Games did not contribute to Taiwan’s international profile, saying the event was ignored in several foreign newspapers (Letters, Aug. 3, page 8).
Fagan is obviously wrong, for in Germany reporting on the Games — sometimes quite detailed — was available in many newspapers, including Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Handelsblatt, Focus, Rheinische Post, Rheinzeitung, FAZ and Tagesspiegel. Even the boycott of the Chinese delegation at the opening ceremony was reported.
This is not to say that I disagree with Fagan on the tendency of Taiwanese media to exaggerate the international attention the World Games received.
Nor do I deny that international trade is much more vital for “a civilized life on this island” than sports events.
But I don’t agree with his contention that “Taiwan’s political class and their supporters are willing to tell ... barefaced lies to the public.”
I won’t mistake a reader’s sloppy investigative skills for barefaced lies, but here, too, “razzamatazz” may be an appropriate word.
MICHAEL SPECKAMP
Koenigswinter, Germany
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The Executive Yuan recently revised a page of its Web site on ethnic groups in Taiwan, replacing the term “Han” (漢族) with “the rest of the population.” The page, which was updated on March 24, describes the composition of Taiwan’s registered households as indigenous (2.5 percent), foreign origin (1.2 percent) and the rest of the population (96.2 percent). The change was picked up by a social media user and amplified by local media, sparking heated discussion over the weekend. The pan-blue and pro-China camp called it a politically motivated desinicization attempt to obscure the Han Chinese ethnicity of most Taiwanese.
On Wednesday last week, the Rossiyskaya Gazeta published an article by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) asserting the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) territorial claim over Taiwan effective 1945, predicated upon instruments such as the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation. The article further contended that this de jure and de facto status was subsequently reaffirmed by UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs promptly issued a statement categorically repudiating these assertions. In addition to the reasons put forward by the ministry, I believe that China’s assertions are open to questions in international
The Legislative Yuan passed an amendment on Friday last week to add four national holidays and make Workers’ Day a national holiday for all sectors — a move referred to as “four plus one.” The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who used their combined legislative majority to push the bill through its third reading, claim the holidays were chosen based on their inherent significance and social relevance. However, in passing the amendment, they have stuck to the traditional mindset of taking a holiday just for the sake of it, failing to make good use of
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