During a meeting with American friends from the Brookings Institution on Tuesday, President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen chose Dec. 10 because it is International Human Rights Day. There is great significance behind choosing that day as the starting date. The designation of an International Human Rights Day was a major milestone in the history of political evolution. It was an indication of the transition from "God-given imperial power" to "God-given human rights." Humanity's political thinking has evolved into referendums commonly accepted by civilized
societies.
Starting the democratic engineering project of creating a constitution on International Human Rights Day is in the spirit of the UN's human-rights efforts. It has the effect of strengthening democratic values and inspiring people living in authoritarian nations such as China. It is an act that deserves the support and blessing of all countries around the world that support democratic values.
By setting a date, Chen has indicated that the referendum legislation, an issue that the blue and green camps have been wrangling over, must be concluded before that time. The legislation will serve as a legal basis for referendums. Since the people want to promote a new constitution by way of a referendum, this legislation must not be the "bird-cage" version proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) - People First Party (PFP) alliance. The people must act to prevent the emergence of a referendum law that would actually restrict their freedoms, of legislation that would be a remake of martial law.
The people of Taiwan need to be on alert about the blue camp's attempts to use the referendum legislation to toady to China and restrict the people's power.
The current Constitution of the Republic of China (ROC)was never really implemented. It was enacted for China in 1947. When former president Chiang Kai-shek's (
The Constitution remains anachronistic even though it was amended six times during former president Lee Teng-hui's (
This Constitution is just as ridiculous as the "map of the ROC" that includes the PRC and the Republic of Mongolia.
Exiled Chinese dissident Cao Chang-qing (
The people want to know why such anachronisms as outdated maps and irrelevant constitutions still exist as well. They should insist that these anachronisms be eliminated.
Two weeks ago, Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) raised hackles in Taiwan by posting to her 2.6 million Instagram followers that she was visiting “Taipei, China.” Yeoh’s post continues a long-standing trend of Chinese propaganda that spreads disinformation about Taiwan’s political status and geography, aimed at deceiving the world into supporting its illegitimate claims to Taiwan, which is not and has never been part of China. Taiwan must respond to this blatant act of cognitive warfare. Failure to respond merely cedes ground to China to continue its efforts to conquer Taiwan in the global consciousness to justify an invasion. Taiwan’s government
This month’s news that Taiwan ranks as Asia’s happiest place according to this year’s World Happiness Report deserves both celebration and reflection. Moving up from 31st to 27th globally and surpassing Singapore as Asia’s happiness leader is gratifying, but the true significance lies deeper than these statistics. As a society at the crossroads of Eastern tradition and Western influence, Taiwan embodies a distinctive approach to happiness worth examining more closely. The report highlights Taiwan’s exceptional habit of sharing meals — 10.1 shared meals out of 14 weekly opportunities, ranking eighth globally. This practice is not merely about food, but represents something more
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
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