Taiwanese have launched a major recall movement to remove pro-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) legislators from office, with slogans such as “resist communism, protect Taiwan” echoing throughout every corner of the nation. On April 19, a rally against China’s “united front” efforts organized by YouTuber Pa Chiung (八炯) drew 50,000 people to Ketagalan Boulevard, providing a passionate boost to the second phase of recall petitions and putting my mind at ease.
In November 2008, shortly after former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took office, he invited then-chairman of China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) to Taiwan — a move seen as a blatant intrusion. Ma even ordered that all Republic of China (ROC) flags be hidden from Chen’s sight, leading the police to remove and fold flags. When the pandas sent by China arrived at the Taipei Zoo, even the ROC flag at the zoo’s entrance was taken down so as to avoid being captured on camera.
The public was outraged by this capitulatory behavior, and on Nov. 5, 2008, during a dinner for Chen hosted by then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), angry protesters swarmed the area surrounding the Grand Formosa Regent Taipei hotel. Chen was stranded on the premises for hours until riot police arrived and dispersed the crowd of more than 2,000 demonstrators.
These events are what led myself and a few friends — National Taipei University of Education professor Lee Hsiao-feng (李筱峰), Victims of Investment in China Association organizer William Kao (高維邦) and my wife, Taiwan Youth Anti-Communist Corps (TYAC) executive director Yang Yueh-ching (楊月清) — to form an organization to resist the CCP infiltration and invasion of Taiwan. We named it the TYAC to clearly distinguish ourselves from the China Youth Corps, which in 2000 removed the word “anti-communist” from its name. Although we were all already over 50 years old at that time — I was already 70 myself — we did not hesitate to give it our all and keep the spirit of anti-communism alive.
We knew very well that the pan-green camp alone could not succeed in resisting the CCP, so we adopted Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) slogan — “Anti-communism must win, state-building must succeed” — and made the case that the “Taiwan independence” (台獨, taidu) and “ROC independence” (華獨, huadu) camps must unite.
However, apart from our limited capabilities, the timing was not yet ripe. The truth of Ma’s pro-CCP stance had not yet been fully exposed, and many were still being deceived by the illusion of China’s “reform and opening up” policy.
Additionally, except for the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) and Formosa TV, the majority of Taiwan’s media outlets avoided anti-communist discourse. Thus, our anti-communist efforts saw little success.
Throughout the Sunflower movement in 2014 and the protests against revisions of history textbooks by Ma’s administration that took place the following year, society still avoided using the term “anti-communist” for fear that it would provoke the CCP; this was also the case under the Democratic Progressive Party’s administration.
Today, after witnessing the CCP’s insidious “united front” tactics firsthand in China, online influencers like Pa Chiung and Taiwanese rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源) — also known by his stage name, Mannam PYC (閩南狼) — are painfully aware of the danger Taiwan faces and are fighting back. With full support from United Microelectronics Corp founder Robert Tsao (曹興誠) and the growing public response, anti-communism is finally beginning to ferment and spread among the younger generation.
Those unworthy KMT legislators, mistakenly believing that their opportunity to seize power had arrived, acted recklessly. Their actions stirred up a sense of national crisis among citizens, who now fear that the CCP would deprive them of their way of life, just as it has done in Hong Kong.
As a result, the entire populace is rising up to resist communism and protect Taiwan. To this end, we must complete the final stretch and ensure that the recall movement does not fail.
The international situation is also undergoing major changes. US President Donald Trump has directly challenged the CCP, and even Singapore, a country that was previously extremely cautious when dealing with China, has altered its approach. Days ago, Ho Ching (何晶) — the wife of former Singaporean prime minister Lee Hsien Loong (李顯龍) — reposted an article on her Facebook likening Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) actions to those of a “mafia boss.” The CCP appears to be heading toward its demise.
Soon after the TYAC’s founding, our organization was infiltrated, including by individuals from overseas. We reported the matter to the authorities, but our lack of trust in Taiwan’s judicial system prevented us from going public. When the opportunity presents itself, we would gradually reveal more details. Even someone like myself, who dealt with the CCP for many years, was once deceived — it is crucial that everyone involved in supporting the anti-communist cause keeps this in mind and remains vigilant.
As our generation grows old, we hope our young friends will carry on the fight to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty and preserve our free and democratic homeland. The time has come to take out the pro-CCP trash outside.
Paul Lin is a Taipei-based political commentator.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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