Oct. 10 should not be Taiwan’s national day and Taiwanese should determine for themselves a date that reflects their national identity, pro-localization parties told a news conference in Taipei yesterday.
Double Ten National Day signifies the imposition of the Republic of China (ROC) foreign regime by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) when it took over Taiwan by military force, putting the land under colonial rule, Taiwan Statebuilding Party Chairman Wang Hsing-huan (王興煥) told the news conference, which was attended by representatives of the World United Formosans for Independence, the Green Party Taiwan, the Taiwan Obasang Political Equality Party and the Taiwan Nation Alliance, as well as former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文).
“The celebrations on this day are designed to erase Taiwanese identity and deny Taiwan’s national sovereignty,” he said. “It is wrong for the ruling party to mark Oct. 10 as a so-called national day, as the events that the date marks took place in China and have no direct connection to Taiwan.”
Photo: Fang Wei-li, Taipei Times
“Oct. 10 should not be hailed with parades and ceremonies, because it deludes Taiwanese into the ROC political trap,” he said. “It suppresses Taiwanese identity and gives the world the false impression that they agree with the one China principle.”
“Taiwanese should not celebrate the advent of the ROC,” he said. “That is not Taiwan’s national day.”
Yao said he has attended several National Day ceremonies, and has heard former DPP presidents and party leaders shouting “Happy birthday to the ROC.”
“It was laughable, but at the same time, I felt anguished ... because Taiwanese should not be celebrating that date,” he said.
“Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) created the Double Ten idea to firm up his regime and legitimize the KMT’s military rule over Taiwan,” he said. “Now, even the DPP as the ruling party continues to celebrate the day.”
“It needs to be stopped,” he added.
“The Chinese republican movement to overthrow the Manchu regime [Qing Dynasty] in 1911 has historic significance, as it ended the imperial era in China,” Yao said. “Historians and academics can study those events, but it is wrong for Taiwan’s government to commemorate them each year on a national day.”
World United Formosans for Independence chairman Richard Chen (陳南天) said that the DPP government was committing a grave error by persisting with Double Ten celebrations.
“The ROC regime is a foreign colonial power from China that forcefully occupies the people of Taiwan,” Chen said. “Double Ten is like organizing a birthday party for foreign invaders who illegally imposed military rule.”
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