Taiwan’s democracy has been the object of some attention and has had its fair share of compliments over the past few years. Then-US Secretary of State Colin Powell, for example, in 2002 described Taiwan’s political transformation as a “successful story.”
Since the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government took office in May last year, however, questions have been raised over its commitment to safeguarding the most fundamental ideals that gird democracy: human rights and freedom of the press and speech.
Sober observers who care about Taiwan’s development have witnessed disturbing trends in the past year. Expressions such as “erosion of democracy” and “democratic regression” are becoming more frequent in news reports and analysis.
Rather than reacting in a defensive manner, the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) could profit from receiving these complaints with humility and asking itself whether these allegations have the potential to damage its credibility, both domestically and in the international community.
The latest incident to fuel doubts over the government’s approach to human rights and official propriety came on Sunday when five college students staged a protest at a temple in Tainan, where the president was scheduled to make an appearance.
Prior to Ma’s arrival, some of the students were assaulted by black-clad men who removed them from the immediate area. The students, who had broken no law, were later questioned by police.
Ma’s response was less than convincing, preferring to concentrate on the intolerance that was on display rather than the familiar police practice of applying undue pressure on legitimate protests.
The question must be asked again: Whether from the mouths of Chinese democracy activists or KMT politicians, how can Taiwan be remotely suitable as a model for a future Chinese democracy when police forces routinely abuse their powers, thumb their noses at the right to express dissent and intervene on behalf of one side of politics?
Politicians readily forget their words. Ma solemnly swore in his inauguration speech last May that his government would improve “Taiwan’s democracy, enrich its substance, and make it more perfect. To accomplish this, we can rely on the Constitution to protect human rights, uphold law and order, make justice independent and impartial and breathe new life into civil society.”
He added: “Taiwan’s democracy should not be marred by illegal eavesdropping, arbitrary justice and political interference in the media or electoral institutions. All of us share this vision for the next phase of political reform.”
These words are impressive and inspiring. But they are not being backed by concrete action, and without such practical support they remain items of lonely rhetoric.
Former presidents Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) made positive contributions to the nation’s democratic record. Now that responsibility for protecting Taiwan’s democracy has passed to Ma, the question is whether this precious duty is within his capabilities.
The latest report from Freedom House says that Taiwan dropped 11 spots in its press freedom ranking for last year. Government and KMT officials have expressed little regret at this development, but their selective valuing of praise from overseas may turn out to be a little unwise.
For whether out of political interest or a sense of justice, the world is watching — not just Freedom House.
On Monday, the day before Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) departed on her visit to China, the party released a promotional video titled “Only with peace can we ‘lie flat’” to highlight its desire to have peace across the Taiwan Strait. However, its use of the expression “lie flat” (tang ping, 躺平) drew sarcastic comments, with critics saying it sounded as if the party was “bowing down” to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Amid the controversy over the opposition parties blocking proposed defense budgets, Cheng departed for China after receiving an invitation from the CCP, with a meeting with
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) is leading a delegation to China through Sunday. She is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing tomorrow. That date coincides with the anniversary of the signing of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which marked a cornerstone of Taiwan-US relations. Staging their meeting on this date makes it clear that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intends to challenge the US and demonstrate its “authority” over Taiwan. Since the US severed official diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979, it has relied on the TRA as a legal basis for all
Taiwan ranks second globally in terms of share of population with a higher-education degree, with about 60 percent of Taiwanese holding a post-secondary or graduate degree, a survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development showed. The findings are consistent with Ministry of the Interior data, which showed that as of the end of last year, 10.602 million Taiwanese had completed post-secondary education or higher. Among them, the number of women with graduate degrees was 786,000, an increase of 48.1 percent over the past decade and a faster rate of growth than among men. A highly educated population brings clear advantages.
In the opening remarks of her meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) framed her visit as a historic occasion. In his own remarks, Xi had also emphasized the history of the relationship between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Where they differed was that Cheng’s account, while flawed by its omissions, at least partially corresponded to reality. The meeting was certainly historic, albeit not in the way that Cheng and Xi were signaling, and not from the perspective
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