An alliance of civic organizations and a media outlet yesterday launched a competition to design a new flag and write a new anthem to replace the ones used by Taiwan in international sports competitions, saying that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and China have caused Taiwan to settle for the “ridiculous” name of “Chinese Taipei.”
The top prize in the flag competition is NT$100,000, while the runner-up will receive NT$30,000. The top prize for the anthem is NT$150,000, with the runner up to get NT$30,000.
Taiwan People News chairman Chen Yung-hsin (陳永興) said that Beijing has intensified efforts to suppress Taiwan, making the nation unable to join international organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Taiwan has also been forced to use “Chinese Taipei” for its teams at international competitions, a name that does not reflect the “status quo,” he said.
Chen said that a “Let Taiwan be Taiwan” campaign was launched in Japan for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, which has garnered more than 50,000 signatures.
This has given Taiwanese all the more reason to rise up and speak for themselves, he said.
The organizers have produced videos to draw attention to the two contests in Mandarin and Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese).
“Aborigines, immigrants old and new, no matter where you are from or which tribe you represent, we are all Taiwanese and live on this island together,” the videos say.
“Taiwan is home to some of the world’s great athletes. They have won glory and honor in many international games after years of demanding physical and mental training. However, they cannot declare to the world in a dignified manner that: ‘I am Taiwanese,’ or ‘We are Team Taiwan,’” they say.
The “lies the KMT told” were why the nation was forced to settle for the “strange” and “ridiculous” name of “Chinese Taipei,” the Mandarin version says.
“It was a mistake that was made in the past and the lies that China told that led to the nation’s plight,” the Hoklo version says.
New Power Party Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) said there is still room for Taiwan to be seen and heard at international sports competitions, from the design of a new flag or anthem, to athletes’ uniforms.
“A lot of creativity comes from the private sector, which is a more appropriate agent of change,” he said.
Competition organizers said they would accept flag and anthem proposals for the Tokyo Games from now until Dec. 5, adding that ideas must include the creator’s biography, previous work and titles, the size of their designs and a 100 to 120-character description of what inspired their submission.
In scoring for the winners, 50 percent will be the results of an online poll hosted by the newspaper, and 50 percent from a group of professional judges.
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