When welcoming Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil to National Chengchi University (NCCU) on Monday last week, university president Kuo Ming-cheng’s (郭明政) controversial remarks not only hurt Aborigines, but also trampled on the dignity of Taiwanese identity.
A similar incident occurred earlier when radio host Luo Hsiao-yun (羅小雲), then chairwoman of the Golden Bell Awards’ panel of judges, loudly made “hoh, hoh, hoh, hoh” sounds when announcing that Alian Radio (原住民族廣播電台) was nominated for an award, and actually asked Aborigines in the audience: “Shouldn’t you be making this sound?”
It was the kind of “joke” that leaves people speechless.
Kuo said that “400 years ago, Taiwan was a primitive society where people did not have sufficient clothes to cover their bodies,” implying that prehistoric Aboriginal cultures, such as the Austronesian culture, were ignorant and backward.
This expression of Han (漢) superiority is even more harmful to Aborigines.
I am not an Aborigine, but I find it unacceptable that at a time when Vystrcil said “I am Taiwanese” in Mandarin during his speech at the Legislative Yuan, Kuo kept bragging about the feudal ideas of Chinese philosophers Confucius (孔子) and Mencius (孟子), adding that NCCU sees itself as the heir to the Chinese culture, highlighting the arrogance of Greater China chauvinism.
Taiwan has always been home to a culturally diverse society, and the Aborigines were the original masters of this land. Chinese culture is thus only part of Taiwanese culture, because throughout history, Taiwan has also undergone Western and Japanese colonial rule and other cultural exchanges.
By promoting the supremacy of Chinese culture, Kuo’s ideology is not much different from the past Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government’s Mandarin-only campaign, which imposed a cultural hegemony banned people from speaking local languages. Why is NCCU still haunted by the KMT’s spirit?
Ironically, while Vystrcil talked about democracy, freedom and Taiwan’s identity, the NCCU president lauded feudal thinking and Chinese hegemony.
Lai Yen-cheng is a graduate student at National Chiao Tung University.
Translated by Eddy Chang
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.