President Chen Shui-bian (
Through yesterday's march, the people of Taiwan would again voice the genuine hope of protecting Taiwan in peaceful and democratic ways, Chen said.
Before Chen made these statements, Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) also said that "civil servants are unable to separate themselves from the destiny of Taiwan." He said that as part of the collective destiny of Taiwan the government should stand alongside the people. Hsieh also participated in yesterday's march. This was a demonstration of the collective will of the people of Taiwan to the international community and the Chinese regime.
Hsieh's comments subtly encouraged civil servants to participate in the march. As a result, the march was joined in by the ruling party, the central government and the Presidential Office. They joined the Taiwanese people in speaking their minds in a peaceful manner.
The participation of Chen and Hsieh should not be simply viewed as part of their personal activities. Their decision showed that they have come to realize that the theme of the march -- "peaceful and democratic protection of Taiwan" -- is the popular will.
In view of the situation both in and outside of Taiwan, Chen and Hsieh faced pressure not to participate. However, they still decided to walk with the crowd. Why? It was because the purpose of the march was the protection of the common destiny of the people of Taiwan.
On the surface, China's enactment of the "Anti-Secession" Law targets the "Taiwan independence forces." In reality, anyone who rejects unification is part of the "Taiwan independence forces." After the Anti-Secession Law began to surface in discussions, certain politicians within Taiwan have tried to draw the line by saying that this legislation -- which authorizes the use of force against Taiwan -- has nothing to do with them.
Once China adopts "non-peaceful means and other necessary measures" against Taiwan, these people believe they can stay away from the whole thing.
However, many moderate voters and grassroots members of the pan-blue camp participated in the march yesterday. This explains why the majority of the Taiwanese people have come to realize that the threat against Taiwan draws no distinctions between pan-green and pan-blue camps.
Recently, an association comprised of Mainlanders who consider themselves "Taiwanese" called on Mainlanders, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the People's First Party (PFP) to transcend differences between pro-unification and pro-independence camps and the pan-blue and pan-green divisions, by participating in the march to express outrage about the Anti-Secession Law.
The association emphasized that human rights, democracy and peace have become values jointly treasured by all the people of Taiwan, including Mainlanders. Support for either unification or independence is a matter of personal choice and freedom. People who choose to support Taiwan's independence are not the "evil force" depicted by the Anti-Secession Law, but friends and family who share a life with us.
The aforementioned position makes it even clearer that yesterday's march was not in support of any particular political stance. Rather, it was a popular movement that spoke on behalf of the people of Taiwan and transcended party lines. Even people who support the pan-blues participated in the march, and rightly so -- to protect their right to decide their own future.
Due to the self-centeredness of their party, some politicians have depicted the march as a manipulation of the popular will. After having gone through three direct presidential elections, the people of Taiwan are very enlightened. How can anyone manipulate the people? If the popular will can be so easily manipulated, then shouldn't the more than 700 Chinese missiles pointed at Taiwan and the so-called Anti-Secession Law have long ago swayed the direction of the popular will?
The joint declaration issued by Chen and Soong at the end of last month triggered widespread skepticism in everyone who cares about the future of Taiwan. Under the circumstances, are the government, Presidential Office, and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in any position to fool or trick the people of Taiwan into taking to the streets? Of course not.
The truth of the matter is this -- the people of Taiwan were entirely self-motivated in their participation in this event in order to protect the independence and freedom of Taiwan, to safeguard the democracy and liberty of their homeland and to uphold the right of their children to decide their own future. This is the common desire of the 23 million people here.
Regardless how people may differ in terms of political ideologies, Taiwan must fight off the imposition of Chinese hegemony first.
The direction of the popular will in Taiwan is very clear -- to protect the right to self-determination. Of course, due to the unique circumstances Taiwan has faced over the years, for the people here to implement their ideals, there are some practical difficulties.
Any leader of Taiwan -- no matter how dedicated to the popular will -- must face the reality that their ideals cannot now be implemented. This is something that the people of Taiwan know too well.
However, while the path forward may be narrow and winding, the goal cannot be lost on the way. Hundreds of thousands of people participated in yesterday's march to speak out against China precisely for the purpose of demonstrating this kind of spirit and determination.
Chen said "How many rugged paths full of thistles and thorns must the people of Taiwan walk down before it is called true democracy? How much longer must the verbal attacks and saber-rattling of China continue before they can walk toward peaceful awakening? The answer, great people of Taiwan, will blow in the wind on March 26." After the legislative election ended last year, the political environment has been unpredictable and government policies have been shifting.
Yesterday, when Chen and Hsieh walked into a crowd gathering from all sides, they must have come to an even more insightful realization of how much the people hoped that they would stay committed to fighting for Taiwan's interest. Besides, the government shares the fate of Taiwan.
As Taiwan is a democratic country, Chen and Hsieh should of course adjust their policies after hearing closely the voice of the people, and respond to the appeals of yesterday's march with substantive action.
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