In 1990, Taiwanese society was shaken by the magnificent Wild Lily Student Movement (
Looking at the current student movement at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial in Taipei, only a few students are participating. Some of the leading students in the campaign are members of the pan-blue camp. But they did not make clear their political status at the beginning in order to present to the public an idea of their "neutrality." Some of their statements were quite similar to those of the pan-blue camp after the presidential election. Who would believe that these protesters are not pro-blue?
In particular, one of the campaign conveners, Chen Cheng-feng (
Today, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) are unwilling to accept but can do nothing about the election failure. So they use the students as an "amulet" while initiating the hunger strike in order to fulfill Lien's wish of regaining power.
Only a small number of students have taken part in the demonstrations and not many teachers have showed their support for the students either. The scale of the campaign is much smaller than that of the Wild Lily campaign. The differences between the two student movements are vast.
In fact, what interests us is why some local media have run page after page of reports about the campaign.
Both the United Daily News and the China Times have done so, with relatively more praise and less criticism. The manipulation behind their reports is clear: Their purpose is to infuse the pan-blue camp with the spirit of the Wild Lily Student Movement. The question is: Is it really necessary to cause a sensation like this over such a tiny group of people? Besides, the United Daily News has always emphasized the "proportional principle." Why has it ignored its principle this time?
Do the pan-blue camp and the pro-blue media really think that they can destroy Taiwan by initiating a student movement like this? They are pitiful and pathetic.
Chin Heng-wei is the editor in chief of Contemporary Monthly magazine.
TRANSLATED BY EDDY CHANG
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