Now it’s our turn
I have been in a terrible mood these days, watching TV for 10 hours a day. I know I could remain silent, do nothing and let things be. But this would be a betrayal of everything I believe in.
The people who have been speaking out in the past few days, shouting “Taiwan is my country,” “No communist invasion” and “No police violence” have shown bravery, risking arrest and police repression. What they want is similar to what previous generations fought for: Freedom.
I cannot believe the things that I see on TV, that the land I have lived in for 23 years could be so easily ruined by police and politicians.
The visit of a senior Chinese official, regardless of his rank, does not warrant the security measures and violence we have seen since his arrival. And it cannot justify how our police officers have been treating our people. They manhandled protesters, pushed them and detained them to flaunt their power and to impress their superiors—which I fear could also mean Beijing.
Many Tibetans have sought refuge in Taiwan because of oppression by China back home. I fear that if we don’t speak up for them, one day Taiwanese, too, could be forced to seek haven in another country.
My grandfather used to tell me about the great efforts and sacrifices his generation had to make to bring democracy to our land. I’m afraid, however, that he forgot to tell me how fragile democracy can be. He also forgot to tell me that, if necessary, I should protest, speak up and do whatever is required to fight oppression.
The reason he forgot to tell me all these things is probably because he never imagined that this could happen again in this beautiful land.
I’m sorry, grandpa. It is happening again.
So, speak up, Taiwanese, for our land, our country, our people and our grandparents. The previous generations are too old now to take to the streets. It’s our turn, now. We owe them that.
Carolyn Wu
Kaohsiung
While only six months have passed in this current administration, I must say that the opposition’s warnings that a KMT-dominated government would be a danger to Taiwan’s sovereignty appears to be coming to fruition. Instead of focusing on more pressing issues to the Taiwanese, such as the economy, and reassuring the public of their commitment to a sovereign Taiwan, the KMT government has issued only window-dressing legislation and regulations, such as introducing cross-strait flights and think tank meetings.
Even more troubling has been the government’s actions to accommodate the arrival of ARATS Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林).
While all countries attempt to make a foreign dignitary feel welcome, the KMT has shown its muscle by using unnecessary force on its own people in the name of “securing public safety.” There is little doubt that the powers that be in China would not reciprocate the actions of the Taiwanese government if a similar meeting took place in Beijing in terms of taking down its national flag. Yet rest assured the highly restrictive police presence would undoubtedly be present, eerily similar to the current situation in Taipei in the past few days.
The restrictions on displaying the national flag and on the public’s movement are troubling signs of a government that has little fear of opposition due to the current fragmentation of the opposition parties.
However, the government’s actions over the past few days will have many Taiwanese, and perhaps many foreigners as well, questioning the loyalty of the KMT government to its own people. This will result in a quicker rise of the DPP to a position of a solid opposition than many people would have anticipated.
Brian Benedictus
Taipei
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