Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) began a hunger strike on Tuesday to demand that the government stop construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮). Lin has put his life on the line to rid the nation of nuclear power in a heroic and honorable way worthy of the highest praise.
This nation is small, densely populated, surrounded by water and in a seismically active zone. It does not need nuclear power. Why does the government keep on acting as though it is desperately needed? How can the government guarantee that there will never be a problem with atomic power after the disasters of Chernobyl in 1986 and Fukushima Dai-ichi in 2011? In the event of an accident, where are residents and visitors expected to go?
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) insists on building nuclear plants. Apart from his policies aimed at helping large corporations make money, his daughters live overseas and have foreign passports. Ma has his own airplane and can escape a disaster at any time. This is why he remains unswayed, regardless of whether those against nuclear power account for the majority in opinion polls or how many people take to the streets in protest.
Taiwanese have been fighting against nuclear power for decades and Lin has always been involved, because this is something he believes in deeply. At 72, he is on a hunger strike with no set finish date. He has also written his will, which shows that he is willing to become a martyr, so it is little wonder that his friends and the public feel extreme unease with what he is doing.
Lin’s actions are the result of a lot of deep thinking. He must be abjectly disappointed with Ma’s stupidity. The Sunflower movement, in which Lin saw young students and others bravely stand up and be counted to protect the nation’s future, prompted him to join them in silent protest. This must have made him wonder what he could do for the protesters, especially when silent protest and occupying the legislature and the Executive Yuan were not enough to move the gang that holds power and controls the nation. This is why Lin is risking his life for future generations.
Lin’s hunger strike — amid attacks on Ma from all corners of society — may compel the president to listen to public opinion and force his administration to make reforms. However, will Ma really listen? Given his selfishness, stubbornness and cold-blooded nature, he is not very likely to listen to anyone, which just increases public concern over Lin’s health and life.
Lin has been to prison for supporting democracy and even went through the Feb. 28, 1980, murder of his mother and twin daughters at their former family residence — which is now the church where he is conducting his hunger strike — by an unknown assailant.
However, he never sought revenge and instead persisted in the hope of helping to build a democratic nation and reconciliation. Now, he is ready to risk his life, which makes him a Taiwanese version of former South African president Nelson Mandela.
Ma spends all his time currying favor with the Chinese Communist Party and big business, while selling out the nation’s sovereignty and the interests of Taiwanese. Ma thinks this makes him worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize.
He knows no shame.
Premier Jiang Yi-huah’s (江宜樺) visit to Lin at the scene of the hunger strike was merely an act. Taiwanese should all know that Ma is the one who insists on nuclear power and that Jiang is just a puppet. If anything happens to Lin, the president, who is busy hiding behind the scenes, should be the person held solely responsible.
Paul Lin is a political commentator.
Translated by Drew Cameron
In the event of a war with China, Taiwan has some surprisingly tough defenses that could make it as difficult to tackle as a porcupine: A shoreline dotted with swamps, rocks and concrete barriers; conscription for all adult men; highways and airports that are built to double as hardened combat facilities. This porcupine has a soft underbelly, though, and the war in Iran is exposing it: energy. About 39,000 ships dock at Taiwan’s ports each year, more than the 30,000 that transit the Strait of Hormuz. About one-fifth of their inbound tonnage is coal, oil, refined fuels and liquefied natural gas (LNG),
On Monday, the day before Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) departed on her visit to China, the party released a promotional video titled “Only with peace can we ‘lie flat’” to highlight its desire to have peace across the Taiwan Strait. However, its use of the expression “lie flat” (tang ping, 躺平) drew sarcastic comments, with critics saying it sounded as if the party was “bowing down” to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Amid the controversy over the opposition parties blocking proposed defense budgets, Cheng departed for China after receiving an invitation from the CCP, with a meeting with
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) is leading a delegation to China through Sunday. She is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing tomorrow. That date coincides with the anniversary of the signing of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which marked a cornerstone of Taiwan-US relations. Staging their meeting on this date makes it clear that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intends to challenge the US and demonstrate its “authority” over Taiwan. Since the US severed official diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979, it has relied on the TRA as a legal basis for all
To counter the CCP’s escalating threats, Taiwan must build a national consensus and demonstrate the capability and the will to fight. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) often leans on a seductive mantra to soften its threats, such as “Chinese do not kill Chinese.” The slogan is designed to frame territorial conquest (annexation) as a domestic family matter. A look at the historical ledger reveals a different truth. For the CCP, being labeled “family” has never been a guarantee of safety; it has been the primary prerequisite for state-sanctioned slaughter. From the forced starvation of 150,000 civilians at the Siege of Changchun
RSS