In the nearly seven years since President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took office, the government has touted Taiwan’s soft power, and its being a country that is democratic and respects human rights. It is undoubtedly true that Taiwan has among the best human rights records in Asia, even if there are serious flaws in the democratic system that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) does not wish to address. However, the diplomacy of the country and the shameless relationship with a small West African country known as the Gambia seriously weakens Taiwan’s moral high ground in this area.
The Gambia is the smallest nation on the African continent. Its current leader, President Yahya Jammeh, took power in a coup two decades ago. Over much of those two decades, he has strengthened his control over the country and increased repression. In recent years the repression has grown, leading up to a failed coup against him in the waning days of 2013.
During the time that Ma’s government continued to support the dictator in Banjul, to the tune of tens of millions of US dollars, and praise his government, conditions in the nation deteriorated so that the country that was deemed “partly free” in 2008, is now deemed by Freedom House to be “not free.”
Ma has posed for photographs with the dictator, apparently showing himself to have friendly relations with a dictator who only became more oppressive over the past several years in which Taipei continued to support his regime. When Ma made that visit in April last year, the Gambia had already declined to a “not free” status with clear signs of increased repression against its people.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添) also made a visit. At that time, the foreign ministry of the Gambian dictator mentioned that relations between the two countries had been “extended to a family affair.” Taiwan had long funded projects in the Gambia, but much of the money landed in the hands of the dictatorial regime, which in essence Taiwanese money helped to prop up.
In October 2013, Taiwan’s ambassador in Banjul extended his “compliments and highest esteem to [his] Excellency’s high office and through you [Jammeh] to the Government and people of the Republic of the Gambia” and referred to the nation as a “great ally” adding that “the government and people the of ROC [Republic of China] and I wish to convey our warm felicitations and sincere good wishes to your excellency.”
Banjul abruptly cut relations with Taipei in November 2013.
Some might rightfully claim that former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) government also continued relations with the country. However, if one takes a closer look, the Gambia actually improved its rights record during that time. While no one can claim that Chen brought greater freedom to the country, maintaining relations as the nation was improving its rights record actually bolstered Taiwan’s democratic credentials. Ma’s continued bolstering and praise of Jammeh’s regime as it returned to repression during his administration does nothing but weaken this image the government has tried to promote.
The break in diplomatic relations might well be a benefit in disguise. It removes a blight on Taiwan’s foreign relations record. The propping up of the Banjul regime with money and rhetoric by the Ma administration runs contrary to the values most Taiwanese hold dear, those values of human rights and democracy. Let this be a message to everyone that checkbook diplomacy only leads to the promotion of values at odds with Taiwan’s values and the credibility of soft power, and needs to be thrown into the dustbin of history.
Michael Le Houllier is cofounder of the Central Taiwan Model United Nations Conference and teacher of global affairs at a high school in Changhua.
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