Fri, Mar 09, 2001 page12

• Editorial: Free speech, official talk

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  President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) spoke out yesterday for the first time on the controversy surrounding the Japanese comic book On Taiwan (台灣論). Chen said he would defend the right to free speech of his Tokyo-based advisor Alice King (金美齡), Shi Wen-lung (許文龍), as well as cartoonist Yoshinori Kobayashi (小林善紀). He made the comment during a meeting with exiled Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng (魏京生), a man who, like Chen, knows the value and privilege of freedom of speech and has struggled long to obtain it.

  While we applaud Chen's determination to uphold this principle, we think he may be confusing the issue. The sanctity of free speech is wholeheartedly embraced by this paper. On these grounds, although we disagree with the content of On Taiwan, we oppose a ban on Kobayashi's visiting Taiwan. For the same reason, we think Shi and King have the right to state their views on comfort women, especially now they have clarified they were speaking strictly about certain comfort women they knew, rather than all comfort women in general.

  However, King's statement on a television talk show regarding the Republic of China is an entirely different story. We believe that King's open denial of the legitimacy of the ROC -- saying she does not recognize it -- is inappropriate. Free speech is not an issue here. What is at stake is the government's political accountability toward its people.

  While King, a longtime supporter of Taiwan independence, was right about "the right of the people to revolt," she must not forget the "ROC on Taiwan" has -- through democratization -- become a government derived from the consent and free will of the people to whom it owes political accountability. How can our government be politically accountable when its members do not even concede the government's legitimacy? Had King been an ordinary citizen, rather than a member of the government, she would be free to make such a statement. But she is not.

  If King simply finds the name "ROC" unacceptable and would like to advocate a change of name, then she should clarify her position. So far, she has given the impression that she is against the "ROC" government in Taiwan, rather than just the name.

  In any event, what is in a name? What matters is the substantive state sovereignty that Taiwan enjoys. Once she accepts that Taiwan is the "ROC," then she should not find it so hard to accept the name "Republic of China."

  Based on what we know about King, she does appear to love Taiwan dearly. Both King and her husband were banned from returning to Taiwan for several decades, because of their involvement, in Japan, with the Taiwan independence movement. In the post-martial law era, King has continued to work on improving relations between Japan and Taiwan. She also donated NT$2 million to the government to help out with the disaster relief after the 921 quake.

  We call on King, out of her love for Taiwan, to do the right thing -- either retract her statement or resign as presidential advisor. Her remarks have made the Chen administration's already-difficult position even worse. The controversy is fanning up strife between ethnic Taiwanese and mainlanders. The controversy over On Taiwan has dragged on long enough. Let us put an end to it. Taiwan's young democracy cannot endure it much longer.

  Finally, we also warn opposition lawmakers against using a double standard. Demand no less of their own speech than they do of King. The personal insults and groundless accusations they make, both inside the legislature and out, make a mockery out of a cherished freedom.

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