Where is Taiwan heading?
On Oct. 20, more than 130,000 Formosans loudly voiced their overdue claim of self-determination in front of the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) headquarters in Taipei, demanding an amendment to the Referendum Act (公民投票法) to allow for a poll promoting Taiwanese independence and rejecting Chinese annexation.
The angry protesters shouted slogans such as “Taiwan yes, China no” and “[We] want a referendum.”
They waved a green flag with the image of Taiwan on it.
There were dignitaries, Taiwanese democratic pioneers and seniors on stage.
“We should tell the world that we want to establish an independent country,” alliance convener and Formosa TV chairman Kuo Bei-hung (郭倍宏) said.
“To strive for a better future, Taiwanese should fight against China’s attempts to swallow the nation,” political veteran Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) said.
Wu Li-pei (吳澧培), founder and honorary chairman of the Formosa Foundation, criticized the Referendum Act as an iron cage transformed from a bird cage, as it does not even allow Taiwanese to rectify the name of their own land and nation.
He warned people not to let Taiwan became the second Hong Kong.
“We are at a critical juncture of history. There might be a long way to go to achieve Taiwanese independence, but everyone should play his or her own part to realize the goal,” he said.
Headline news on the front page of Reuters: Thousands rally in Taiwan, call for referendum on independence from China. South China Morning Post: Taiwan independence protesters take to the street in Taipei. ABC News: Thousands of pro-independence demonstrators rally in Taiwan. The Washington Post: Thousands of pro-independence demonstrators rally in Taiwan. DW: Taiwan’s independence rally draws thousands, irks China. The Financial Times: Taiwanese protesters step up calls for independence.
More than 80 world media organizations reported about the Oct. 20 event, but it was totally ignored or blocked inside Taiwan. Only Formosa TV, Taiwan People News and the Taipei Times published the headline the following day.
Self-determination is a right that has been overdue for Taiwanese since the end of World War II. However, it has been labeled the biggest unforgivable crime thanks to the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) seven decades of brainwashing.
No, Taiwanese are not Chinese and China does not have any right over Taiwan. There is no legal document or international treaty to prove its nonsense claim.
It is time for Taiwanese to seriously face their own political legal status. Taiwan needs to build itself up as a new nation, but not ask for independence from China — it simply does not have any right to it.
It was sad seeing only a few young Taiwanese showing up on the day of the rally; maybe they are totally unaware of the truth of Taiwan’s history.
Education providing correct information about Taiwan after World War II is urgently needed. The Taiwanese government should offer an open forum to discuss the de jure sovereignty of Taiwan, and not just act like an ostrich burying its head and running office under ROC law.
It is wasting time, and Taiwan will go nowhere under it.
John Hsieh
Hayward, California
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