I was still in my research office late on the first night after returning to Tamkang University for the new academic year when the lights went out and the building shook with the earth in the darkness. I had the same feelings I did when Beijing was ruffled by the 1976 Tangshan earthquake (
This earthquake, the strongest in Taiwan history, has caused almost 2,000 deaths so far. Through the day, Taiwanese soldiers held their tears and bravely pulled survivors from the rubble. Taiwanese TV transmitted the scenes to the rest of the world. Shocked by the news that Taiwan has been "attacked by a hellish earthquake," the world held out a helping hand. Many rescue teams have already arrived.
Most impressive was the unity, composure and compassion shown by the Taiwanese people when facing the catastrophe. Team after team of volunteers rushed to the frontlines. The government, public, military and local people moved in step with each other. Saving lives was their top priority. No illegal activities or looting amid the disaster were reported. All political parties suspended their election campaign activities, while most of the candidates visited the frontlines of the disaster. Instead of making noise to attract press attention individually, they avoided the media and put all their efforts into rescue work.
Most of the politicians have suspended their war of words and walked deep into disaster areas. However, while most of the TV stations are airing live coverage from the affected areas, there was a lonely presidential candidate on one channel, grinning and calling other people names on the screen, using allusions from classical texts, talking about how a certain emperor put the blame on himself after a certain earthquake, and how a certain minister resigned to take responsibility, etc.
Indeed, during the reign of emperors, the will of the public could not be realized. Thus, natural disasters became a good opportunity for power shifts. Taiwan is a democratic country, as proven by the transparent handling of the quake's aftermath. Based on these realities, the Taiwanese people can take this opportunity to give a litmus test to politicians. From this, they can make independent judgments and choices. They do not have to be deluded by "classics."
Disasters test the capabilities of a country and the quality of a society. I remember, during the Tangshan earthquake in 1976, the Chinese Communist Party was in the last days of its Cultural Revolution. Chinese society was in a state of terror following the suppression of the April 5 Tienanmen incident. The country was on the fringe of an economic breakdown. Communist China flatly turned down the helping hand held out by the international community. The rescue work proceeded in a highly secretive atmosphere. The death toll remains a mystery to this day, but we can be sure it was the highest ever in recorded human history in connection with an earthquake.
In contrast, the rescue work in Taiwan is transparent. The world has seen the "hellish earthquake" that struck the Taiwanese people, as well as their all-out rescue efforts.
From architecture to human hearts, from government to political parties, Taiwan has come under a microscope. After just one day, people started asking questions such as:
Why did some of the buildings remain intact while others in the same area collapsed? In answer to this, shoddy construction came to light from the cracks and fissures. But it is not just a problem of construction companies making illegal profits at the expense of public safety as some people undoubtedly think. It also involves the systemic problem of government-business complicity, recently discussed by Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (
Also, amid the support and friendly voices from the international community, there are inevitably some noises. China Central Television aired a spokesperson from Beijing's Ministry of Foreign Affairs appearing at a press conference. He said, "China thanks the international community for the aid given to the earthquake disaster area of Taiwan." Is it looting amid a disaster or fishing in troubled waters? Trying to make Taiwan an "earthquake disaster area" of China?
Democratic Taiwan cannot be bullied. The Taiwanese people have been through much suffering. I believe they will be reborn from fire like a phoenix -- with even more strength and composure to step into the new millennium.
Ruan Ming is a visiting professor at Tamkang University and former special assistant to the Chinese Communist Party's Secretary-General Hu Yaobang (
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