As the dust settled on the recall movement, I found myself traveling through Poland and the Baltic states. Passing through passport control at Tallinn airport in Estonia, one word stood out everywhere on banners and signs: freedom.
Wednesday last week was Estonia’s Restoration of Independence Day, when in 1991 the nation broke free from Soviet rule and reclaimed its liberty.
Estonia was invaded and annexed by the Russian Empire in the 18th century. It seized a fleeting chance at independence in 1918 after the empire collapsed due to revolution — only to be swallowed again by the Soviet Union in 1941.
During World War II, it was occupied by Germany, but following a Red Army counterattack, it fell back into Soviet hands. It was not until the 1991 Soviet coup attempt on Aug. 19, also known as the August Coup, that Estonia declared independence the following day.
Taiwan is sometimes described as a “small country,” but in truth its 23 million people put it closer in size to Australia than to Estonia.
Estonia, with just 1.37 million citizens, is what one could truly call a small state. Yet being small did not stop the Baltic nations from fighting for freedom.
On Aug. 23, 1989, citizens of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined hands spanning 600km in the Baltic Way demonstration. Two million people formed a human chain, demonstrating a popular desire for independence and showcasing solidarity among the three nations. The act shook the Soviet Union and later inspired Taiwan’s Hand-in-Hand rally in 2004. Estonia might be tiny, but its courage became a role model for Taiwanese in their fight for democracy and freedom.
Taiwanese are luckier than Estonians.
Taiwan’s struggle for democracy was waged against a regime, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which was eventually localized under former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝). Estonia, by contrast, had to resist direct foreign occupation and wait for the Soviet Union to unravel before regaining statehood.
Taiwan has always been a de facto independent nation. The task for Taiwanese is not to win independence from scratch, but to defend the freedom and independence they already have.
After two consecutive recall campaigns, many supporters of Taiwan’s pro-democracy camp might feel discouraged, but the fight to defend liberty is never wasted. The Baltic Way did not topple the Soviet Union in 1989, yet it built the solidarity and resolve that ensured Baltic states were the first to break free when the Soviet Union collapsed.
In Taiwan, in the first of these two waves of recalls, held on July 26, 1.61 million people voted in favor of the recalls, while 280,000 voted in favor in the second wave on Saturday.
Lucy Liu (劉玉皙), a member of the Presidential Office’s Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee, has cited international research showing that to resist an invasion, a nation needs at least 3 percent of its people to demonstrate a resolute will to resist aggression. These votes far exceed the 3 percent threshold.
Of course, we should not sugarcoat the situation. A failed recall remains a failure, but what has truly been lost? There is no reason to sink into despair, nor to turn our frustrations against one another.
Taiwan’s democratic movement began with only a handful of legislative seats outside the ruling party, yet through persistence it eventually grew strong enough to govern. That is the trajectory of freedom.
We must have confidence in Taiwan. We must trust in democracy and we must trust that the flag of liberty will continue to fly proudly across the nation.
Tommy Lin is chairman of the Formosa Republican Association and director of the Taiwan United Nations Alliance.
Translated by Lin Lee-kai
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