People First Party (PFP) presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜) yesterday bowed in apology for what he said were long-term, excruciating pains suffered by Taiwanese nearly four decades ago, amid growing calls for him to apologize for his roles in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) suppression of the freedoms of the press, speech and language under its one-party rule.
“I would like to express my regret for the harms and wounds that once existed in this island of Taiwan... I also want to extend my apologies to those afflicted with such long-standing and agonizing pains,” Soong told a press conference held for the release of his second campaign video in Taipei yesterday morning.
“We must not forget how many families were torn up and how their emotional sufferings have been passed down from generation to generation. I can now relate to such pains. My apology is long overdue,” Soong said.
Photo: CNA
Having served in numerous positions under the regimes of former presidents Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), the 73-year-old seasoned politician has been facing calls following his announcement for presidential candidacy earlier this month to face up to the skeletons in his closet.
He has been urged to issue a formal apology for his acts of suppression against the freedoms of the press, speech and language during his term as the director-general of the now-dissolved Government Information Office between 1979 and 1984.
During that period, languages other than Mandarin were discouraged and an abundance of publications were banned under Soong’s rein, including leading opposition magazine Formosa Magazine (美麗島).
Soong said he thought he had offered a clear enough explanation for past incidents, but many people still demanded an apology from him for his roles in that period.
“Then a group of young people in the filming team for my second campaign video titled Shaving Beard (刮鬍子) told me that the younger generations could not care less about my explanations or stories,” Soong said.
“They are fed up with you grown-ups’ old and bitter feud. All they see are your condescending attitudes,” Soong quoted them as saying.
Soong said maybe people requesting an apology from him were simply attempting to find someone to represent that period of heartbreak, as well as the violent acts and emotional distress they had been subjected to.
“All they need is a fair and heartfelt sorry... I feel extremely honored to be able to be that someone who helps untie the decades-old knots in their hearts,” Soong said.
He said he did not feel aggrieved in making the apology, and that he had no ulterior motive.
It was the result of a shame-filled process of self-reflection that aimed to put social divisions and long-standing scars to rest in his generation, Soong said.
“History is just and fair. It gave me a temporary spot in that period and then arranged me to engage in self-reflection on other involved parties’ behalf today,” Soong said.
The 73-year-old went on to say that remarks made by Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) when his family was branded as “descendants of the Japanese emperor’s loyal subjects” by prominent KMT veterans during his campaign for the mayorship last year made a profound impression on him.
“Ko said at the time that he could tolerate harsh criticism, but that label was unacceptable to many because it sent a message that a particular generation of people should be held accountable for that period of history,” Soong said.
History is open to different interpretations, Soong said, adding that it should be a mirror rather than a rope that is used to repeatedly tie up the country.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS