The new government has made a big deal about how it would revamp Taiwan's diplomacy. "Human rights" and "NGOs" were to be the new touchstones of Taiwan's efforts overseas, in contrast to "money diplomacy" and "international vote-buying."
The principle behind this strategy is correct and its announcement has been applauded in this newspaper and elsewhere. It is abundantly clear that only by energetically and rigorously playing the "democracy card" can Taiwan make any headway in the international arena.
Unfortunately, the new government has failed its first diplomatic test. The coup in the Solomon Islands was met with near complete silence by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The only statement -- made under prompting by a relatively well-briefed legislator -- from foreign minister Tien Hung-mao
Apparently most of the national media felt this to be sufficient. Perhaps they have come to expect nothing more from MOFA. However, a brief perusal of the reactions from the rest of the international community revealed a rather different standard.
The EU urged that "all the constitution's democratic norms and processes be strictly respected." UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan "urges that the hostages be released immediately and constitutional rule restored." Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon asserted, "This is a gross violation of the Commonwealth's fundamental political values." These statements were echoed by official spokes-people in Washington, London, Canberra, New Delhi and elsewhere.
If it were merely a matter of speed, Tien could perhaps be forgiven. After all, it is unlikely that MOFA's regional and country officers had briefed him very thoroughly. It is also questionable whether they themselves comprehend what the new government's policy is meant to represent. But with so many models to follow, the least we could expect is simply to "go with the flow" and make some kind of pro forma statement.
Some diplomats here will probably protest that they cannot be seen to be interfering in the domestic affairs of another country. The practice of all advanced countries proves this to be an outdated mode of thinking. What the international community now favors is legitimate constitutional processes. As a country that has only recently regained the use of its own Constitution, Taiwan should understand this point more clearly than most.
The Solomon Islands has been a diplomatic ally of Taiwan since 1983 (shortly after its independence). Taiwan is a significant donor to the Solomons -- indeed we provided aid last year to people displaced by an earlier outbreak of the current conflict -- and one of the very few countries that maintain an embassy in its capital. In recent years, the Solomons government has also been one of the most consistent and vocal supporters of Taiwan in the UN. The Governor-general, Father John Lapli, was a guest at the inauguration, at MOFA's invitation, a mere two weeks ago.
Now, this same man is held hostage, along with his government, and we have nothing to say about it? What will these people think when they are released? What will the rest of the people of the Solomon Islands think about Taiwan? We are deceiving ourselves if we imagine they will see Taiwan as a beacon of democracy in the region.
This is exactly the kind of case that ought to have been a showcase for the government's new foreign policy. We have lost a golden opportunity to demonstrate that our new government is different and that our commitment to world democracy is genuine.
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