AFTER THE TWO sides of the Taiwan Strait had been separated for 52 years, the ferry Gulangyu (
Those on board spent the next four days and three nights visiting their relatives. They had been waiting to go home since the Communist attack on Kinmen in 1949 separated Kinmen and Xiamen. For these former Kinmen residents living in the other side of the Strait, the journey home seemed so long.
It has been more than a month since the launch of the "small three links" (
In news reports we saw elderly people kneeling down to kiss their homeland and their white-haired relatives in tears. Those were very moving scenes, but we could not help but feel the irony of history.
These people left their homes for schooling and business engagements. They thought they were just on a short trip, but, as it turned out, they were away for 50 years.
Watching their hometowns from across the strait, they could not make it to the other side. Several decades passed, and even though there had been exchanges across the Strait, a distance of only a few kilometers kept them from uniting with their families.
That the former Kinmen residents could return to their homeland was an expression of goodwill of the authorities across the Strait.
Though the small three links could serve the purposes of preparing for the "big three links" (
Allowing people on the Chinese mainland to travel to Kinmen and Matzu from Xiamen and Mawei bridges kindred connections. And the return of former Kinmen residents to their birthplace allows them to once again bask in the affection of their families.
North and South Korea have also been separated for decades. There was even a large-scale naval battle two years ago between the two sides. Nonetheless, the North and South Korean governments and their respective societies have gradually come to realize that they must solve their disputes and work for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
The first step was to allow for the reunions of separated families. The scenes from the reunions deeply moved the whole world, and further accelerated and facilitated the Korean peace process.
Kindred affection is of the utmost importance and can best resolve political disagreements and hatred. Matzu and Kinmen were previously the frontlines of cross-strait military conflict.
Now, mutual exchanges and understanding blossoming from Kinmen can facilitate the dissolution of hatred and disagreement and promote peace across the Strait.
In addition to the Taiwan Strait and the Korean Peninsula, there are still many other places where civilians are suffering from dislocation and separation from their families because of wars.
For example, many young children were compelled to join the army in the war between Ethiopia and Eritria. They have not been heard from since.
Many Palestinians cannot return to their homeland under Israeli occupation, and Israelis and Palestinians continue to disagree over the return of refugees.
It is my hope that people will learn valuable lessons, calculate less for self-interest, and think less egocentrically, with more humanitarian considerations, so that separated families in all parts of the world might reunite again.
Chien Hsi-chieh is a DPP lawmaker and executive director of the Peacetime Foundation of Taiwan.
Translated by Wu Pei-shih
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