Certain supporters of the party-state system are just like junior-high school principals. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) — who was actually head of student affairs in a previous life — is no exception.
Primarily trained to safeguard “political correctness” of thought and to suppress free speech, these individuals are especially good at launching political vendettas and identifying political dissent. If anyone dares question their opinions, or goes so far as to talk about freedom of speech, they are thrown out.
The first time the Taiwanese electorate sent the KMT packing, the party responded by firing its chairman. Following January’s presidential and legislative elections, the party fired a batch of its members for daring to challenge its central leadership, including former KMT spokesman Yang Wei-chung (楊偉中), who the party is determined to get rid of completely.
An organization that suppresses free speech in the name of upholding “discipline” is anything but a democratic party — and is not worthy of the support of anyone who believes in freedom and democracy. Those who were compelled — either directly or indirectly — to join the KMT during its party-state rule should not wait for the party to fire them, but rather take the initiative by firing the party.
Hung, the schoolteacher now at the helm of the KMT, called former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) “the Japanese who occupied the Republic of China’s Presidential Office” and said that Lee is still inflicting damage to Taiwan.
Really, who actually thinks that Lee is harming Taiwan? Who would even agree with her that Lee, who was legally elected president, was occupying the Presidential Office, in the sense of the word that Hung intended?
Following the controversy over self-proclaimed citizen reporter Hung Su-chu (洪素珠), who verbally abused elderly veterans, Hung Hsiu-chu — in her typical schoolteacher approach — reprimanded Hung Su-chu for being socially divisive, even though she is guilty of the same offense by turning the KMT into a veterans’ party and refusing to accept the results of democratic elections.
Her comments suggest that only those closely linked to veterans are entitled to be president. Following that logic, former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) could also be considered someone who “occupied” the Presidential Office — which is perhaps why he got into trouble and was thrown into jail.
Yang, who is on the verge of losing his KMT membership, of course understands the way his party works, having served as its spokesman.
For decades, the KMT maintained a party-state system by silencing political dissent with a carrot-and-stick approach. On one hand, it imposed across-the-board censorship of the media, strictly controlled education and suppressed free speech. On the other hand, it assimilated people into the party while restricting their freedom of speech.
With the advent of the Internet, that strategy no longer works. Young people have little reason to give up their freedom of speech to join a party that is going downhill — unless they are masochists.
How young people feel about politics can be described in the words of media commentator Clara Chou (周玉蔻). Once a KMT member, until the party revoked her membership, Chou has openly confronted the KMT by saying she is Taiwanese and supports freedom and democracy — the same holds true for Taiwan’s younger generation.
James Wang is a media commentator.
Translated by Tu Yu-an
When former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) first took office in 2016, she set ambitious goals for remaking the energy mix in Taiwan. At the core of this effort was a significant expansion of the percentage of renewable energy generated to keep pace with growing domestic and global demands to reduce emissions. This effort met with broad bipartisan support as all three major parties placed expanding renewable energy at the center of their energy platforms. However, over the past several years partisanship has become a major headwind in realizing a set of energy goals that all three parties profess to want. Tsai
An elderly mother and her daughter were found dead in Kaohsiung after having not been seen for several days, discovered only when a foul odor began to spread and drew neighbors’ attention. There have been many similar cases, but it is particularly troubling that some of the victims were excluded from the social welfare safety net because they did not meet eligibility criteria. According to media reports, the middle-aged daughter had sought help from the local borough warden. Although the warden did step in, many services were unavailable without out-of-pocket payments due to issues with eligibility, leaving the warden’s hands
There is a modern roadway stretching from central Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland in the Horn of Africa, to the partially recognized state’s Egal International Airport. Emblazoned on a gold plaque marking the road’s inauguration in July last year, just below the flags of Somaliland and the Republic of China (ROC), is the road’s official name: “Taiwan Avenue.” The first phase of construction of the upgraded road, with new sidewalks and a modern drainage system to reduce flooding, was 70 percent funded by Taipei, which contributed US$1.85 million. That is a relatively modest sum for the effect on international perception, and
Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told a news conference on Jan. 9, in response to China’s latest round of live-fire exercises in the Taiwan Strait: “India has an abiding interest in peace and stability in the region, in view of our trade, economic, people-to-people and maritime interests. We urge all parties to exercise restraint, avoid unilateral actions and resolve issues peacefully without threat or use of force.” The statement set a firm tone at the beginning of the year for India-Taiwan relations, and reflects New Delhi’s recognition of shared interests and the strategic importance of regional stability. While India
RSS