After the Tunisians launched the “Jasmine Revolution,” Egypt became the second domino that collapsed. The moment protesters at Cairo’s Tahrir Square heard that Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak had tendered his resignation, they cheered excitedly: “Egypt is free!”
This revolution born out of street protests reaches beyond ethnicity, region, culture and religion, making it clear that that the pursuit of freedom and the will to oppose dictatorship are not exclusive to Western countries. They are truly universal values shared by all human beings.
Most political commentators around the world who are following events in North Africa and the Arab world have said that the public’s insistence on the pursuit of freedom is crucial to deciding whether or not this “fourth wave of democratization” will be successful and lasting.
Through his Twitter account, Chinese human rights lawyer Teng Biao (滕彪) congratulated the Egyptian people by quoting the ancient Greek historian Thucydides, who said: “The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage.”
The question is why is it that the pursuit of freedom has clearly given the general public the courage required to take to the streets.
Perhaps the simplest explanation is that people have realized that the idea that sovereignty rests with the public means that a leader whose regime has not been approved through democratic procedures has no legitimacy.
That in its turn means that each citizen has the right to question the legitimacy of an unelected dictator. This is the reason the Libyan people remain resolute in their efforts to topple Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, even though he has ordered a military crackdown and missile attacks against protesters.
Ultimately, Qaddafi will not be able to resist the massive wave of freedom sweepig the region. His only way out could well be to flee the country, as he has been deserted by friends and followers alike.
The enthusiasm with which people across the region welcome freedom also offers a lesson for Taiwan.
It tells us that we must stand clearly and firmly on the right side of history. We must not make the mistake of being seduced by China’s economic growth and convince ourselves that the Chinese Communist Party will stay in power forever.
In addition, the “Revolution 2.0” making itself felt in North Africa and the Arab world has highlighted the penetrative and potentially disruptive power of new technologies.
Although the time may not yet be ripe for China to embrace protests staged across the country by Internet users, the popular Chinese folk song Mo Li Hua (茉莉花), which is Chinese for “Jasmine blossom,” may yet become a symbol of the Chinese people’s hopes for a democratic revolution of their own.
As we witness the power of freedom, we must also realize that the further consolidation of democracy in Taiwan requires that we continue to move forward and not rest on our laurels.
In particular, Taiwanese must exercise both wisdom and courage when they cast their ballots in the legislative elections to be held at the end of this year or in the second half of next year and the upcoming presidential election. They must ask themselves who is more likely to work to further implement democratic values.
If we fail to do this, then we will have let down all those people who sacrificed so much and spent years fighting for our hard-won freedom.
Ku Chung-hwa is chairman of Citizen’s Congress Watch.
TRANSLATED BY EDDY CHANG
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing