I’m Taiwanese, not Chinese
Recently, the statement “I am Taiwanese” has become a hot topic in the media. This is such a strange issue. If you were born in Taiwan, grew up in Taiwan and lived for a long time in Taiwan, why can’t you proclaim: “I am Taiwanese”?
According to Japan’s provision dated Nov. 18, 1895, Order No. 35 stipulated that residents of Taiwan and Penghu had two years to choose their nationality, to decide if they wanted to be “people of the Qing Dynasty” or “Japanese.” At that time, my ancestors chose to stay and became naturalized Japanese.
Currently, the world widely recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as “China.” Since I am not a citizen of the PRC, I am not “Chinese.” This is such a simple truth. Some people might say that I am a citizen of the Republic of China (ROC) and I therefore have ROC nationality. In fact, before the end of World War II, when I was 25 years old, I was a Japanese citizen. Later, my nationality was changed to that of the ROC, though I was offered no choice and gave no permission. I was unconsciously made a citizen of the ROC under duress from the authorities at that time.
The Japanese Ministry of Justice’s Civil Affairs Bureau issued Civil Affairs No. 438, dated April 19, 1952, which stated that “effective from the day of the enforcement of the San Francisco Peace Treaty [April 28, 1952] ... Taiwanese ... would lose the nationality of Japan.” The fact that Taiwanese were forced to become ROC citizens on Oct. 25, 1945, when Japan surrendered Taiwan to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) authorities, is incompatible with principles of international law and violates the spirit of the UN Charter.
I often wonder, why is it so difficult to be Taiwanese? If you want to clarify the legal status of Taiwan and Taiwanese nationality, you can go to the International Court of Justice at The Hague for an interpretation. By then, I hope you will have woken up. Be proud of being Taiwanese and bravely proclaim that “I am Taiwanese, not Chinese.”
Let me ask President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九): Why did you come to Taiwan? Were you forced to flee to Taiwan? At that time, we did not deny you. Taiwanese welcomed you to stay in this country and worked hand in hand with you. Since then, you have lived a peaceful life in Taiwan. What else are you asking for?
If you do not like Taiwan and do not like to be Taiwanese, you are welcome to leave and go anywhere you like. Perhaps you might go to the US and tell Chinese Americans (including your two daughters) that “I am Chinese, not American.”
YANG LIU HSIU-HWA (楊劉秀華)
Taipei
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