All the free men
In 1963, in an isolated city threatened with forced absorption by a single party state, then-US President John F. Kennedy expressed solidarity with the democratic outpost, stating: “Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was ‘civis romanus sum.’ Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’... All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ‘Ich bin ein Berliner.’”
Taiwan has expressed its democratic will in defiance of the intimidation of its bullying neighbor and deserves the recognition and support of all those who claim to espouse such values.
All free men, wherever they live, are citizens of Taiwan, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words Ich bin Taiwan ren.
Toby Wilsdon
UK
Leave government where it is
Moving the Presidential Office and other central government agencies from Taipei to central or southern Taiwan is a self-centered and annoying idea which would not solve the problems of imbalanced development, but, in its stead, would create more trouble. (“Move Presidential Office to Tainan: Lai,” Jan. 19, page 3).
The Republic of Formosa, which Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) talked about was proclaimed on May 23, 1895 and extinguished on Oct. 21, 1895, when Tainan was invaded and occupied by the Japanese under the Treaty of Shimonoseki signed between Qing Dynasty of China and the Empire of Japan in 1895. The historical fact is that the elected president of the Republic of Formosa Tang Ching-sung (唐景崧) and his followers recognized Chinese dominion over Taiwan.
Lai also wants president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to relocate the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to Tainan. Putting aside the cost involved, Lai would need to present much better reasons to persuade other constituents not living in Tainan and Tsai to accommodate his wants.
Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), while echoing Lai, said that Tsai, upon assuming office, should relocate the Legislative Yuan to Taichung in the interests of balanced national development, citing saving on rent for the Legislative Yuan building and national security as reasons to move. Likewise, Lin would have to do the same as Lai to get what he requests.
People living in less developed counties, like Hualien and Taitung, are waiting eagerly for what benefits Tsai can offer them. If the location of central government agencies are things Tsai can freely give away, her constituents in these two counties might choose the Presidential Office and the Legislative Yuan respectively.
There are very few exceptions where a nation’s central government agencies are not located in its capital city. What the Democratic Progressive Party’s heavyweights should do right now to assist Tsai is brainstorm how to stop Taiwan from going further down the drain politically and economically, instead of pushing her to waste time on trivial matters.
David Tzou
Taoyuan
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