When the campaign aimed at ousting President Chen Shui-bian (
The most obvious examples can be found among the anti-Chen actions on Ketagalan Boulevard, such as veteran actor Chin Ti's (
The crowd in red shouted along, forgetting that former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Shih Ming-teh (
Without Chiang's crackdown on the democracy movement, Shih would never have been called "Taiwan's Nelson Mandela." But without the support of Chiang's followers, there would not be an anti-Chen demonstration today. In the face of this historical irony, it is hard to say if Shih has betrayed himself or if his pan-blue supporters have betrayed Chiang.
The former is probably more likely. When campaign spokeswoman Wang Lie-ping (王麗萍) called out "Republic of Taiwan" during a speech, she was booed by the crowd and had to issue a public apology, which showed the anti-independence sentiment of those participating in the sit-in.
By contrast, no one criticized Chin for praising the KMT. Nor was he given a dressing down in the way Shih lectured Liao Lin Li-ling (廖林麗玲), the Taiwan Solidarity Union's (TSU) candidate in the upcoming Taipei City councilor elections, when she suggested that the nation should apply for UN membership under the name "Taiwan" instead of the Republic of China.
I wonder what "Taiwan" -- a place that Shih sacrificed so much for -- means to the people dressed in red? Will he now compromise his past ideals just to maintain his leadership?
What is being betrayed here is not only the "Republic of Taiwan," but also the spirit of the nation's democratic history. If Shih really was one of the most important individuals in this historical discourse, his position is now at risk of being seriously distorted.
The campaign to depose Chen represents a certain set of values. But if these values are tied to Chiang's legacy, that would negate the claim to transcend partisan politics and the unification-independence debate. The protesters would inadvertently become the political mainstream.
Some academics are so naive. They see the "love" and non-violence demonstrated on Ketagalan Boulevard as a beautiful song that will purify people's hearts and develop into a new creed. They also believe that even if Chen does not resign, the seeds of democracy have been firmly planted. However, the confrontation between the pan-blue and pan-green camps would only lead to rising hatred and violence, and possibly even to a national strike that would feed social unrest.
The Kaohsiung Incident in 1979 remains a milestone in Taiwan's democratic development. Its influence has actually increased over time. Answering the question of whether the campaign's "siege"of the Presidential Office on Friday was a glorious replay of the Kaohsiung Incident or a betrayal of that incident is critical for evaluating the nation's democratization, and Shih's role in that movement.
Hsu Yung-ming is an assistant research fellow in the Sun Yat-sen Institute for Social Sciences and Philosophy at Academia Sinica.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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,
Former minister of culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) has long wielded influence through the power of words. Her articles once served as a moral compass for a society in transition. However, as her April 1 guest article in the New York Times, “The Clock Is Ticking for Taiwan,” makes all too clear, even celebrated prose can mislead when romanticism clouds political judgement. Lung crafts a narrative that is less an analysis of Taiwan’s geopolitical reality than an exercise in wistful nostalgia. As political scientists and international relations academics, we believe it is crucial to correct the misconceptions embedded in her article,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
RSS