In a country where ancestor worship is an essential part of the culture, paying respect to the dead should not surprise us. Objections to the recent visit by Taiwan Solidarity Union Chairman Shu Chin-chiang (蘇進強) to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine to do so, however, does. It is based on the reasoning that Chinese can pay respect to the Republic of China's dead in China and set up shrines to them in Taiwan, but Taiwanese cannot respect those who fell for the former colonial power, Japan.
The absolutist and exclusivist notion of the pan-blue camp that only they can pay respect to their dead reeks of the desecration of royal tombs by incoming dynasties in China. The Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) bedfellow, failed abysmally to do away with such feudalistic tendencies with their Cultural Revolution. Here, one would hope that the cultural transformation to democracy would have relegated such a mindset to the trashcan of wacky old ways.
Alas! The pan-blues are still suffering deep psychological dissociation from the reality of what constitutes the Taiwanese electorate and what democracy actually means. For the sake of the nation, they need urgent psychological help to get closure about losing the civil war, being a nasty colonial power, losing two presidential elections, being the opposition and not being in China, free or otherwise.
William Meldrum
Taipei
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
As the highest elected official in the nation’s capital, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) is the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) candidate-in-waiting for a presidential bid. With the exception of Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), Chiang is the most likely KMT figure to take over the mantle of the party leadership. All the other usual suspects, from Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) to KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) have already been rejected at the ballot box. Given such high expectations, Chiang should be demonstrating resolve, calm-headedness and political wisdom in how he faces tough
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