The nation’s frequently bickering political parties yesterday united in denouncing a woman who insulted an elderly waishengren (外省人), a term referring to people who fled to Taiwan with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in 1949 after its defeat in the Chinese Civil War.
The parties issued their condemnation after Hung Su-chu (洪素珠) — a self-styled citizen reporter who has published several videos on Public Television Service’s PeoPo online platform — posted a video on Facebook on Thursday of her confronting a man walking with a cane in Kaohsiung’s 228 Peace Park.
The two-minute-long video starts with Hung asking the man when he came to Taiwan.
Photo: Screengrab by Hung Ting-hung, Taipei Times
The man said he came to Taiwan with his parents in the 1940s, when more than 2 million mainlanders were estimated to have fled to Taiwan from China with the KMT regime.
“You should go back [to China] because Taiwanese cannot take care of you Chinese refugees anymore,” Hung told the man.
“I have contributed to Taiwan for 50 to 60 years,” the man said.
“We have contributed more than you people — you people came to Taiwan to gnaw on our bones,” Hung replied.
Several other videos show her engaging in similar confrontations with other elderly people. She also posted pictures of a class she taught at a local elementary school, including a slide that read: “Taiwanese are the stupidest people in the world, using money and technology to take care of their enemies.”
Hung’s posts and videos sparked outrage after being shared on social media.
“Everyone has their own background and history. How can you say that only those who match a certain set of imagined standards are Taiwanese?” a YouTube user named “K.W.Y.” said.
“The DPP [Democratic Progressive Party] severely condemns Hung’s irresponsible behavior. Such hate speech damages ethnic relations and creates social rivalry,” DPP spokesman Ruan Jhao-syong (阮昭雄) said.
“Taiwan is a democratic nation and no one should be discriminated against for something they believe in. Hung’s actions have abused freedom of speech and the DPP urges [the judiciary] to launch an investigation into the issue,” he added.
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) spokeswoman Chou Ni-an (周倪安) also criticized Hung.
“The TSU always stands with Taiwanese against China. However, waishengren did not come to Taiwan voluntarily; they are also victims [of the Chinese Civil War], and no one should equate them with the Chinese government that represses Taiwan,” Chou said. “Hung’s behavior is highly inappropriate.”
KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) said on Facebook that some derogatory terms, such as “Chinese pigs” and “Chinese dogs” were also used to describe the KMT or to ridicule the commentary of KMT supporters.
Over the past two decades, Taiwanese have not become more unified and willing to tolerate each other, but instead have let hatred fester and feed confrontation, Hung Hsiu-chu said.
KMT Culture and Communications Committee director Chow Chi-wai (周志偉) said: “The KMT respects veterans who have made sacrifices for their nation and we are asking our branches across the nation to seek out the veteran who was insulted and help him regain his dignity.”
Hung Su-chu’s comments were also disavowed by the Taiwan Civil Government, with which she is reportedly affiliated. The organization is a political group advocating the government in Taipei is not legitimate.
The group said she had made “inappropriate statements” and should come forward to make corrections.
Hung Su-chu yesterday wrote on Facebook that the confrontation in the video began because the man had made comments about how “stupid” Taiwanese are.
“Chinese refugees who have lived in Taiwan for 70 years make fun of Taiwanese all the time,” she said.
“That netizens would spread rumors attacking me and targeting me in a cyber manhunt shows just how ‘excellent’ the Republic of China’s education system is — it can take Chinese refugees and turn them into Taiwanese veterans,” she added.
The Kaohsiung City District Prosecutors’ Office last night said it would flag the case for official investigation on Monday.
Additional reporting by Loa Iok-sin and Shih Hsiao-kuang
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