Listen to peace protesters
Upon reading international news about anti-war protests on Feb. 15, I noticed that very few news agencies mentioned anything about the hundreds of protesters who converged in Taipei in front of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Local media companies seem to downplay the fact that there are many people in in this country who oppose the US going to war in Iraq. In fact, many people in this country are against war, period.
Among the dozens of citizens' groups represented at the anti-war protest in Taipei were the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions (TCTU) and Peacetime. Both groups have interesting insights on this nation's relationship to war, a topic that is rarely discussed in the media.
The TCTU reminded people at the protest that this nation has a long history of dependency on the US and even provided financial support for the recent US attacks on Afghanistan. The group also warned that Taiwan's media blatantly plays to the tune of whatever information the US government and US corporate media provide, and that people should look to other information sources to educate themselves on international events.
The TCTU appeals to President Chen Shiu-bian (陳水扁) to openly express Taiwan's opposition to a US war on Iraq and feels that an anti-war stance is the optimal survival strategy for a small country in a key arena of international politics.
Peacetime founder Chien Hsi-chieh (
We know all about war, as it has become commonplace in our everyday lives -- the news tells us all about wars and weapons deals, Hollywood relays stories on how to kill more effectively and we see jet fighters and destroyers racing in the skies and seas. But what do we know about peace?
While certain (wealthy) political interest groups would rather have the media downplay opposition to US aggression in Iraq, the rest of us want to be included in Taiwan's dialogue concerning the US government's despotism throughout the world. Many people in this country are clear that this war is about oil, and as Taiwan is headed in the direction of renewable energy and reduced use of plastic, there is no reason for it to support US control of the world's oil reserves.
There is actually a huge undercurrent of anti-war sentiment in Taiwan. Why isn't this in the papers? Is the nation's media so afraid of US influence that it would prefer to keep the people uninformed about discontent with the US government?
Peacetime is now collecting signatures for a petition to be delivered to the AIT, asking them to tell the Bush administration that the people of Taiwan oppose another war in the Persian Gulf or anywhere.
Meng Lei
Taipei
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of
RSS