Calling Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
"To stop the harsh criticism voiced by the international community against the `Anti-Secession' Law, China drags over two fools from Taiwan to have a talk," he said. "The five-point agreement reached between Lien and Chinese President Hu Jintao (
Lee also said that he does not see any use for Lien to talk with Hu and other Chinese authorities because they are from a country which is neither free nor democratic.
PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
As a former president, Lee said that he shows respect for President Chen and will always support him.
"Lien refuses to address Chen as president and supports the use of violence, letting gangsters beat up Taiwanese people at the airport," he said.
Lee made the remarks yesterday morning while launching his new book, entitled New Era Taiwanese.
The proceeds of the sale of the 124-page pocket book yesterday and today will go to those injured during a violent brawl after pro-independence groups protesting Lien's China trip clashed with pro-unification supporters at CKS International Airport on Tuesday. Fifteen people with injured in the tussle.
Lee said that his book was inspired by the nation's adverse political climate. He also feels that a "new Taiwanese" concept, which he coined and promoted since 1898, has been abused by some politicians since the Democratic Progressive Party took power in 2000.
"The crux of Taiwan's problem does not lie in ethnicity but in national identification," he said. "Let's not label ourselves as Mainlander, Taiwanese, Hoklo, Hakka or Aboriginal, because we are all `new era Taiwanese.'"
While Lee said that it is sad to be Taiwanese, he called on the public to work with the government to remove the obstacles on the road to democratization and end what he called the "era of sadness."
Before speaking at the book launching ceremony, Lee emphasized the importance of political stability during a speech delivered to students of the Lee Teng-hui Academy and its youth leader programs.
Lee said that the so-called five-point "vision for cross-strait peace" made by Lien and Hu is nothing but a sugarcoated lie and part of China's unification strategy aimed at dividing the Taiwanese people.
"The flower of the peaceful democratic revolution, which blossomed after the transfer of power in 2000, withers overnight because of the domination of opposition forces in the legislature. This problem is compounded by China's strenuous efforts to split up the nation," Lee said.
Due to centuries of foreign domination, the former president also said that Taiwanese people lack a sense of the nation's historical, geographical, economic and cultural evolution and that the problem is worrisome.
"All foreign regimes are afraid of the rise of local awareness and consciousness. The same theory applies to Taiwan," he said. "Many Taiwanese don't have much of a national consciousness and are confused about who they are. This is a very serious problem."
Lee also said that he hopes the programs his academy provides will help participants better understand the nation and love this land, as well as purge the educational venom left by the former KMT administration, which promoted the "greater China" ideology.
While Taiwan is a democratic country, Lee said that it is not yet a normal country. The reason for stopping Taiwan from becoming a normal country does not lie in the ethnic problems but in national identification.
"If the national identification problem cannot be effectively tackled, I'm afraid that our democratic development is bound to weaken and the political climate deteriorate," he said.
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
STAY AWAY: An official said people should avoid disturbing snakes, as most do not actively attack humans, but would react defensively if threatened Taitung County authorities yesterday urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid disturbing snakes in the wild, following five reported snakebite cases in the county so far this year. Taitung County Fire Department secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) said two of the cases were in Donghe Township (東河) and involved the Taiwan habus, one person was bit by a Chinese pit viper near the South Link Railway and the remaining two were caused by unidentified snakes. He advised residents near fields to be cautious of snakes hiding in shady indoor areas, especially when entering or leaving their homes at night. In case of a
A tropical disturbance off the southeastern coast of the Philippines might become the first typhoon of the western Pacific typhoon season, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The system lacks a visible center and how it would develop is only likely to become clear on Sunday or Monday, the CWA said, adding that it was not yet possible to forecast the potential typhoon's effect on Taiwan. The American Meteorological Society defines a tropical disturbance as a system made up of showers and thunderstorms that lasts for at least 24 hours and does not have closed wind circulation.
DIPLOMACY: It is Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo’s first visit to Taiwan since he took office last year, while Eswatini’s foreign minister is also paying a visit A delegation led by Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo arrived in Taiwan yesterday afternoon and is to visit President William Lai (賴清德) today. The delegation arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 4:55pm, and was greeted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). It is Arevalo’s first trip to Taiwan since he took office last year, and following the visit, he is to travel to Japan to celebrate the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Arevalo said at the airport that he is very glad to make the visit to Taiwan, adding that he brings an important message of responsibility
RSS