Mutual respect is the key to forming a united, multicultural Taiwan, academics said yesterday, emphasizing that the key to breaking the politicization of Taiwan's ethnic issues is grassroots policies to strengthen the public's connections to the community.
Speaking in particular about the integration of Mainlanders into Taiwanese society, academics and government figures discussed possible policy at the second day of the Executive Yuan's Conference for Ethnic and Cultural Development.
The conference, co-organized by the Council of Cultural Affairs, the Council of Hakka Affairs, the Council of Indigenous Peoples and the Council of Veterans Affairs, gives participants a chance to explore Taiwan's national and cultural identity. The conference will end today.
During the event's morning session yesterday, first and second generation Mainlander government figures and social leaders spoke about their experiences in Taiwan.
The term "Mainlander" is commonly used to refer to Chinese who immigrated to Taiwan with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in 1949. Mainlanders are typically seen to be pro-blue camp and pro-unification with China, which has led to conflicts with Taiwan's other ethnic groups
The conflict, however, said speakers, is not as severe as most people believe.
"The process of cultural development must be more open and pluralistic. I don't feel that there are any cultural conflicts in Taiwan; perceptions of Taiwan's ethnic divide are exaggerated," said Ruan Ming (阮銘), a political commentator and a former special assistant to the late general secretary of the Communist Party of China Hu Yaoban (胡耀邦).
Ruan, who has been a Taiwanese citizen for two years, said he believes there is no conflict between the Taiwanese and Chinese cultures.
"To be honest, the real conflict is between political parties and culture," Ruan said yesterday, adding that the confusion between cultures stems from past efforts by the Chinese and Taiwanese governments' to establish only one leader, one nation and one national identity for both countries.
The conference's single openly pro-unification speaker, Chou Chin-chun (
Emphasizing that he fled China in 1961 and that most of his friends are local Taiwanese, Chou said that he is against Taiwanese independence because once the establishment of a Taiwan nation is announced, China will attack Taiwan.
"I am willing to sacrifice myself, but I do not want to witness the sacrifice of the future generations of my friends and relatives," Chou said yesterday.
Chou's comments inspired vocal protests from audience members, most of whom did not seem to support his position.
"There are many people that support Taiwanese independence overseas who could not live in Taiwan because they were blacklisted [by the Chinese Nationalist Party government] for their views. We acknowledge and love Taiwan; if one day China attacks Taiwan, would you be willing to sacrifice for Taiwan?" National Taiwan Normal University professor Lee Chin-an (李勤岸) asked Chou yesterday.
Other speakers at the forum called for an increased acceptance of mainlanders in Taiwan.
"Our understanding of the Mainlander ethnic group is lacking. We need to stop associating cultural identity with national identity. We should increase awareness of the historical record of the first generation of mainlanders that came to Taiwan, share that history with second generation Mainlanders, establish memorials to their efforts in establishing the nation, and enter public discussions to allow us to rediscover the Mainlanders that came to Taiwan in 1949," said conference speaker and DPP Ethnic Affairs Department chief Yang Chang-cheng (楊長鎮) yesterday.
Another focus of yesterday's forum was resolving the potential conflict between policies that encourage ethnic pluralism and those directed at the formation of a national identity.
Speakers emphasized the importance of cultural development policies to strengthen Taiwan's national identity.
"Each ethnicity in Taiwan has played an irreplaceable part in the historical record. All cultures and ethnicities must be given equal respect," said National Cheng-chi University professor Chen Fang-ming (陳芳明).
To increase people's connections with their local communities and culture, today's young people should be brought up participating in community events, said National Policy Advisor Lee Yung-chih (李永熾).
In this way, Lee said, each individual's understanding of themselves as a public citizen and their part in the nation's identity would increase.
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