In the year 2000, Taiwan realized a landmark peaceful transition of political power, solidifying its democratic system and winning plaudits from around the world. New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani called Taiwan "a remarkable country." But within Taiwan, people seem to be ignorant or even uncomfortable about the historical progress Taiwan has made.
Recently, ex-president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) shared the stage with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Peng Ming-min (彭明敏), a senior advisor to the president, at the launch ceremony for the Northern Taiwan Society (台灣北社) in Taipei. The significance of his move lies in awakening Taiwan's mainstream public opinion, which is now in the process of getting lost, and recovering Taiwan's confidence to be the master of its own destiny.
Taiwan's public opinion has been disorientated for quite a while. Taiwan held its first direct presidential election in March 1996. Lee won the race with 54 percent of the vote, while Peng Ming-min ranked second with 21 percent. The two garnered a combined 75 percent of the vote. What did that indicate?
First, it meant recognition of Lee's democratic reforms in the KMT government system. Second, it meant recognition for Peng's advocacy of democratic reforms outside the KMT system.
The success of Taiwan's democracy has relied on competition, interaction and cooperation between these two forces. The public expects these two forces to push for continued progress in democracy. After the election, Lee worked to make good on his promises to push for judicial, executive, education, financial and constitutional reforms. However, he was shackled by the KMT's entangled old system. The DPP, meanwhile, was dizzy with ideas of a "crisis society" (advocated by then party chairman Hsu Hsin-liang [許信良]), thereby blurring the concepts and directions that people such as Peng and Huang Hsin-chieh (黃信介) had hoped for.
In the 2000 presidential election, when Lee was working hard to promote Lien Chan (
Lee said that Chen's election victory was the "will of the Heavens." Lien's "Chinese KMT" camp accused Lee of dumping Lien to save Chen. Lien's failure in the presidential election was caused by his betrayal of the Taiwan consciousness, of Taiwan's sovereignty, and of Lee's democratic reforms. By "the will of Heavens," Lee actually meant the will of the public. In the 2000 presidential election campaign, Lee got lost at one point and lost track of public opinion. Only 39 percent of the electorate voted for Chen -- an indication that a portion of the electorate was just as confused as Lee. If Lee actually "dumped Lien to save Chen" at that time as he is doing now, Chen would have gotten over half of the votes, if not 75 percent.
As evident in two recent books, written by Tzou Jiing-wen (鄒景雯) and Fuyuko Kamisada (上土反冬子), and in Lee's speech at the launch ceremony for the Northern Taiwan Society, Lee has escaped his disorientation and had a great awakening. On an emotional level, Lee has revealed his true feelings and is actively working to help Chen. But on a more important, rational level, Lee has awakened and awakened Taiwan's mainstream public opinion by virtue of his own awakening, removing the mist that has prevented Taiwan from moving forward.
During a recent speech in Oxford University, Lien said "Taiwan is ill, seriously ill." According to his diagnosis, the "cause of the disease" was that something was wrong with "cross-strait relations and the positioning of the country's status." A Taiwanese businessman also echoed him, saying that today's Taiwan is more backward and chaotic than 40 years ago, and the society is in great turmoil. But, he said, "if we accept the mainland's one China principle, all predicaments Taiwan has faced will naturally be resolved."
This is really a prescription from the gods. Haven't the people of Taiwan worked hard to develop Taiwan's economy, politics, military, culture, technology, education, society and environment? Now, once Taiwan accepts the one China principle -- Taiwan will become a special administrative region of China and the president will turn into a chief executive -- will all predicaments be resolved naturally? If the Communist Party of China is really that powerful, how come it has not resolved its own problems? Why is it that China can only sell out the cheap labor of its own people in exchange for weapons when a majority of its citizens are living under the poverty line, with incomes of less than US$1 a day?
Lee is not a god. He may sometimes get lost, but he can also experience a great awakening. Lee is not like those politicos who play the one China card, saying on the one hand that "one China means the Republic of China" and deceiving the people of Taiwan, while on the other hand placating the Chinese despots on the other side of the Strait by telling them that "Taiwan is part of China." Neither is Lee seeking a "Bian-Lee alliance versus Soong-Lien alliance," or ethnic confrontation, or independence versus unification duel. Lee's path is simply the path of democratic reforms, of defending freedom, the rule of law and human rights, and ensuring that Communist China cannot overturn these achievements. Lee's path means maintaining a Taiwan consciousness, and ensuring that Taiwan's sovereignty will not be dissolved by Lien Chan's (連戰) Chinese KMT. To resolve its predicament, Taiwan cannot rely on gods, kings or Beijing's "one China." Taiwan will have to rely on the unity of its 23 million people.
Who exactly is provoking ethnic confrontation? Who is provoking more disputes over unification and independence? To pit Taiwanese against Taiwanese has always been part of Communist China's united front tactic. People need to keep their eyes wide open and not let themselves be deceived by opportunist politicos. People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait understand that to safeguard Taiwan's democracy is to seek an early introduction of the universal values of freedom and democracy in China. Taiwan's opportunist politicians who side with China's terror regime, try to harm Taiwan's democracy and obstruct China's progress to democracy will be looked down upon by the people of both Taiwan and China.
Ruan Ming (
Translated by Francis Huang and Jackie Lin
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