Taiwan's battle of the century
The first responsibility of any national government is the preservation of national sovereignty. To this end, the Legislative Yuan should consider taking steps to have an amendment added to the Constitution expressly stating Taiwan's disavowal and repudiation of the original "one China" policy.
Following this, the legislature could pass a referendum bill, stating its intention to hold a referendum within a specified period on the question of whether Taiwan should formalize its sovereign status or unite with the PRC.
This is necessary as it is unclear whether the people of Taiwan desire national sovereignty or to become a special administrative region of China.
The citizens' expressed preference for the status quo is not a viable option, as China does not accept this. Taiwan's choice, therefore, is between sovereignty or union with China. Trying to fudge the issue will only invite China's bullying and eventual invasion.
In the event of a "yes" vote in the referendum, an immediate "Declaration of Sovereignty" should be clearly and unequivocally made by the national government and enshrined in the Constitution.
Naturally, a maximum state of military readiness would need to accompany such a declaration. China has made no secret of its military, expansionist designs on Taiwan.
To pursue anything other than the above course would inevitably lead to an invasion by the People's Liberation Army. There is simply no other option when dealing with a totalitarian power. Even if the Taiwan government surrendered tomorrow, dissolved the Legislative Yuan and accepted all Beijing's terms to become a special administrative region of China, Beijing would still send an occupying force to guarantee submission.
Based on the past behavior of the Chinese authorities, between 10 percent and 15 percent of the adult population would likely be arrested and detained on political grounds.
How could it be otherwise? The rule of law would disappear overnight. All bank deposits above a certain amount would immediately be frozen pending a review of the "patriotism" of depositors.
Why is the PRC so trenchant and determined to pursue such an unjust political goal? Stated bluntly, the Beijing authorities believe Chinese civilization has been victimized and humiliated over the past two centuries by global powers.
Even many ordinary citizens in the PRC see the retaking of Taiwan as a form of national vindication, China's destiny, its right, its manifest vision of its own future.
Clearly, negotiating with such a mind-set is not possible. The only action Beijing would accept is Taiwan's complete and unconditional surrender.
Moreover, need it be stated that issues of sovereignty are seldom resolved by the assistance of other nations? The PRC is likely to find some way of painting US assistance as dangerously destabilizing for the region.
Then a further means will be found for the US to be allowed to save face for not intervening. In other words, assistance from other civilized, free societies, Though this would certainly be welcome, it cannot be counted on.
Should you base your continued national existence on others' promises? The PRC is a feudal society with a fascist government. Accordingly, it cannot change. Totalitarian nations do not reform. They collapse, eventually. In the process, however, they can do great harm. These early years of the 21st century are likely to be the most crucial in Taiwan's history. Preserving your nation's hard-won freedoms and its rule of law is of infinite importance.
Stephen Carter
Bangkok
Will the world watch us die?
It is only natural that China will grow stronger militarily and economically. We can only hope that it will also grow politically and culturally -- and do so humanely. Taiwan cannot seek to match China's military might forever. The fact that it has succeeded in doing so over the past 50 years is nothing short of a miracle, but also reflects the fact that the US and other democratic nations in the region wished to contain the spread of communist aggression. To expect Taiwan to resist an all-out military assault from China all by herself is unrealistic, and will become all the more so in time. How could anyone, including the US and the UN, expect a nation of 23 million people to fight a nation of 1.3 billion single-handedly? It could not be done by either Korea, Mongolia, Tibet or East Kazakhstan and it could not be done by Taiwan.
If China continues to focus on military growth alone, without political reform, and continues to indoctrinate it's young like a terrorist state, only to ensure the communists' hold on power, control of its population, and its pursuit of regional domination, then disaster is virtually assured. And not just for Taiwan.
The idea of the whole world standing idle, as it watches China's Goliath fighting Taiwan's David, and butchering its 23 million free citizens is horrifying. Yet it remains a possibility, and China is counting on it, working relentlessly toward that goal in its efforts to isolate Taiwan for just such a scenario.
The US must now help Taiwan to join the UN as a new member, and soon. Then, Taiwan can ally with other nations in the region and throughout the world, to declare as unacceptable China's intention to annex Taiwan by force, and destined to meet a collective challenge.
Only then will the US and the UN be entitled to proudly declare that they have upheld their principles over perhaps the most explosive situation facing mankind in the 21st century.
The US must act quickly, before it's too late. Better to move this fight to the UN floor than to the potential battleground that is the Taiwan Strait. Isn't that what the UN was created for?
Ming-Chung Chen
Chicago
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