Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) yesterday said that the uproar over the Special Report VCDs is part of a process that will eventually break the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) domination of Taiwan's media groups.
"The uproar over the Special Report series of the VCDs was not a simple social event," Lee said at the Lee Teng-hui School, a private academy established by Lee.
"It signifies the process of ideological liberation to counter the media groups dominated by the KMT. The media used to support the KMT, but the people could not endure such a situation," he said.
Lee said he hadn't watched the VCDs yet, but was aware of their influence as it signified a solution to the problem of a pro-KMT media whose owners were heavily invested in China.
Lee said when he was president, he advocated casting off the political influence off the military and the democratization of the country.
However, Lee said that in the media and education systems, the KMT's grip on power was still evident. Lee was referring to attacks by some sections of the media on the Democratic Progressive Party and a perceived lack of a Taiwanese angle in school text books.
Lee also commented on the recent visit of Chinese dissident writer Cao Chang-ching (曹長青), who supports Taiwanese people's right to self-determination.
"Cao's speech stands for the support for Taiwan's democracy, movement of localization and truthfulness," Lee said. "However, not many people dare to speak the truth.
"The VCD uproar reflects the liberation of people's minds. This is a revolutionary change and there is nothing to be afraid of," Lee said.
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VCD controversy a `revolutionary event'
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