Sat, Mar 03, 2001 page1

• Kobayashi banned from Taiwan

  PERSONA NON GRATA The author of the comic book `On Taiwan' has been prohibited from entering Taiwan, as hysteria over his controversial comic book simmers

  • By Monique Chu / STAFF REPORTER
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  The government announced yesterday that it would ban controversial Japanese cartoonist Yoshinori Kobayashi from visiting Taiwan on March 8, saying he was a threat to public safety.

  Responding to the ban, Kobayashi said in Tokyo yesterday that the reason why he wrote the comic was that he thought Taiwan was a democratic country, but yesterday said, "This ban reveals that Taiwan is not a democratic country and has no freedom of speech."

  Critics immediately condemned the decision to stop Kobayashi from coming to Taiwan, saying the contents of Kobayashi's comic book On Taiwan (台灣論) belonged in the realm of free speech and should not be cited as a reason for the government to ban his visit.

  "This decision will backfire heavily against the government and cause it to be strongly attacked, because his work is controversial. The government should not interfere," Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒), editor in chief of Contemporary Monthly, said.

  Huang Fu-san (黃富三), a history professor at National Taiwan University, said the move was a step too far and could damage Taiwan's image as a democracy.

  "He is only a cartoonist. Because of this small book, the government has decided to ban him from visiting. I think some might therefore equate Taiwan with a communist country where free speech is banned," Huang said.

  Even officials admitted they were puzzled by the decision. "This is really odd. He is only a cartoonist, not a terrorist," a source at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan said.

  After attending a committee meeting to review the case, Chien Tai-lang (簡太郎), administrative Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior, explained the rationale behind the decision.

  "The opinions and viewpoints depicted in the comic book On Taiwan by Yoshinori Kobayashi have triggered strong criticism in Taiwan. It has damaged our country's image, damaged our national dignity, affected what the international community thinks of us and endangered our national interests," Chien said.

  Chien said the decision was made in accordance with Item 13, Article 17 of the Immigration Law, which states that foreigners might be banned from entering Taiwan if they "are believed to endanger national interests, public security, public order, or the good name of the State."

  Cancellation of the ban, Chien added, would be contingent upon Kobayashi's "response" to the decision.

  Ten out of the committee's 11 members attended the discussion, including officials from the interior ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affair's bureau of consular affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the national security bureau and four people from outside the government, sources said.

  Officials remained tight-lipped about the four non-officials, saying the nature of the meeting was confidential.

  Lin Wen-chin (林文欽), president of the Avant Garde Publishing Company which released the Chinese-language edition of the comic book, said, "It's ridiculous for our government to make such a decision. It's a pity that the government has succumbed to pressure imposed by a minority of lawmakers and pro-China politicians."

  Historian Huang Fu-san said the government's move was meant for domestic consumption, a response to demands made by pro-pro-China politicians from the opposition parties.

  The book, 40,000 copies of which had been sold in Taiwan as of yesterday, has rekindled debate about Japanese colonialism in Taiwan, which was under Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945.

  Huang predicted that yesterday's decision would trigger protests from pro-independence politicians as "most of the book depicted Taiwan's spirit as a sovereign and autonomous country."
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