The start of the new legislative session is just around the corner and the Legislative Yuan would certainly turn into a battlefield again, especially since the opposition parties collectively have more seats than the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
For Taiwan to prosper, parties should lay down their arms, rid themselves of political prejudice and actually work together. They should be faithful to the country instead of ignoring national interests and inciting hatred.
Under the regime of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and then-president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), Taiwan saw the world’s longest period of martial law. Taiwan was essentially a huge prison during the White Terror period and many facts about that period remain buried.
Healing the wounds in people’s hearts is important. Taiwanese were oppressed, so pro-localization parties and the KMT should take responsibility for uniting politics and shunning division.
The movie Hotel Rwanda, released 20 years ago, is about a hotel manager, Paul Rusesabagina, who saved the lives of 1,268 Hutu and Tutsi refugees during the genocide. The Hutus and the Tutsis are citizens of the same country, but call each other “cockroaches,” which reminds us not to let hatred last and to learn to use our rational judgement.
KMT Chairman Eric Chu’s (朱立倫) support for the nomination of Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) — the divisive leader of the Han “sect” — seems to challenge the limits of Taiwanese’s tolerance for democracy.
Taiwanese taxpayers also continue to pay for the upkeep of the graves of Chiang and his son, former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), making them a perpetual presence in our lives.
Let us suppose that Chu and Han understand the historical trauma. In that case, they should prioritize harmony in sitting and public speaking at the Legislative Yuan. They should be sensitive and avoid hurting the Taiwanese.
Before the opening of sessions, KMT raised several unconstitutional clauses, causing divisiveness. KMT legislator Fu Kun-chi
(傅?萁) even picked a fight and said the KMT would obstruct Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) nominations.
Born and raised in a military village, Han worked hard to become legislative speaker, so he should now speak and act more cautiously and use his communicative strengths to promote harmony in the Legislative Yuan.
Moreover, as speaker, Han should act fairly and neutrally, playing an important role in fostering unity. This includes deepening ties with democratic countries and the US and moving away from dictatorships that have weak economies and bad images.
Due to inexplicable hatred, some pan-blue ignoramuses irrationally hate pro-localization governments and refuse to communicate with them. This could be blamed on pan-blue media, including so-called “elites” and pro-China politicians who prioritize political struggle to try to win over simpleminded people.They even incite anti-progressive and anti-reformist agendas for their own vested interests.
They may appear to be normal but are far from it and in some cases even evil, getting irrational groups to abandon their conscience and destroy the country.
There is a lesson to be learned from the message of Hotel Rwanda.
Chu Meng-hsiang is the former deputy secretary-general of the Lee Teng-hui Foundation.
Translated by Chien Yan-ru
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