A number of anti-WTO protesters were arrested during demonstrations on Dec. 18 at the venue for the organization's summit in Hong Kong. Lee Chien-chen (
While this incident should have generated sympathy among the public, I was stunned when I saw TV news coverage of a sit-in held by NTU students protesting against the Taiwanese government rather than the Hong Kong or Chinese governments. These students not only accused the government of being unable to secure Lee's release, but also called on Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairman Joseph Wu (
First of all, we should be clear about the nature of the political regime in Hong Kong. Since Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997, its path to democracy has become increasingly difficult because, as a part of China, it has little choice but to adapt to China, and China is notorious for violating human rights. Protests are common in Taiwan, but in China it is no small matter and unless they are supported by the government, they usually end in bloody confrontation. A good example is the recent incident in Guangdong's Dongzhou village, where Chinese riot police shot dead several villagers during protests against corruption, pollution and land seizures.
Beijing admitted three villagers were killed, but according to some human rights groups, the death toll was higher, making it one of the bloodiest crackdowns on protesters since the 1989 student-led protest in Tiananmen Square. Some Hong Kong media estimated that over 100 people were killed in Dongzhou. What else can people expect from such a brutal regime? Those who wish to participate in protests that are not endorsed by the government should be prepared to run the risk of martyring themselves.
According to reports, during his detention, Lee requested that he be allowed to contact the Taiwanese government, but was mocked and told that Taiwan was part of China, and as he was "at home," no such notification was necessary. The Hong Kong and Chinese governments never acknowledge the national identity of Taiwanese, and completely ignore the existence of the Taiwanese government. As a result, there is not much the government can do and no matter how many MAC chairmen resign, the issue still cannot be solved. But it seems that this is something that the demonstrating NTU students do not understand. Their criticism should be directed at the Hong Kong government, and its evil patron China.
Furthermore, certain Taiwanese politicians colluding with China and Hong Kong should also be blamed for not using personal connections with high-ranking government officials in China to help Lee. While the politicians were given two pandas from China and have shaken hands with Hong Kong's former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa (
It is reasonable for NTU students to demonstrate and protest, but they should first understand what their demands are. Otherwise, they will only blur the issue. Fortunately, Taiwan is in fact not a part of China, otherwise the outcome for Lee would have been quite different from the situation he's in today.
Shen Nai-hui is an associate professor in the Department of English at National Hualien University of Education, a member of the Eastern Taiwan Society and a member of the Taiwan Association of University Professors.
TRANSLATED BY LIN YA-TI
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