Comic strip no accident
We strongly object to the offensive comic strip that the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) published on July 20 to promote the government’s proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China and we demand its immediate withdrawal.
The ethnic profiling and stereotyping in the comic is unmistakably insulting and discriminates against Hoklo-speaking Taiwanese.
This outrageous comic consequently resulted in an ethnic uproar.
So far, the best that the government has done is urge the public not to be offended.
What is worse is the explanation offered by the MOEA deputy minister, who said: “The comic characters were the result of long, painstaking efforts by public relations experts.”
It is crystal clear that this was no accident. The officials involved approved the publication of the comic strip.
A spokesman for the Democratic Progressive Party said: “The comic strip is extremely offensive and derogatory. It describes those who oppose the ECFA as stupid and unaware of current events. This is glaring racial and class discrimination.”
The citizens of a democracy have the fundamental right to question their government’s policies. It is the government’s responsibility to persuade the public to support its policies. In the case of the proposed ECFA, the government has not even made known the content of the proposed agreement with China, let alone explain it.
The public is naturally concerned and nervous about likely damage to Taiwan’s sovereignty and economy from the ECFA. Unfortunately, the government has chosen to insult the people who have spoken up against the proposed agreement.
There is no place in a democracy for such state-sponsored discrimination against any ethnic group.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) cannot remain silent on this public relations disaster. As the elected leader of Taiwan, he cannot avoid his responsibility to rid members of the government of their mentality of ethnic discrimination. We ask that Ma learn from US President Barack Obama, who rushed to quell racial uproar in Boston.
BEN LIU
President, North America Taiwanese Professors’ Association,
Princeton, New Jersey
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,
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
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
RSS