While the violence of the pan-blue rent-a-mob outside the Presidential Office on Saturday night and in the small hours of yesterday morning can only be deplored in the strongest terms, it might in the end have done Taiwan a favor. For it has made it absolutely plain, even to the greatest skeptic, who in Taiwan represents the stability that is necessary for Taiwan's continued prosperity and who represents mob rule, violence and gangsterism.
Of the people arrested Saturday night, half were found to have criminal records concerning involvement with Mainlander-run organized-crime gangs the Bamboo Union and Four Seas Gang. These are the kind of people that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
Perhaps we might be glad they have lowered their sights. After all, in the immediate aftermath of the election results the pan-blue leaders made a vigorous attempt to entice members of the armed forces to launch a military coup d'etat in the name of "defending democracy." To the military's credit, it no longer sees itself as the private army of the KMT and Lien and Soong were snubbed. Just as importantly, the message from Washington following the promulgation of the election result contained a stern reminder aimed at the pan-blues that any attempt to go outside the law to solve election disputes would not be tolerated. This punctured the more wildly ambitious plans of the election losers to regain power. Since then they have been confined to ruining the weekends of members of the Taipei City police force with demands that are barely coherent.
First they wanted a recount and foreign investigators brought into the inquiry into the shooting of President Chen Shui-bian (
One aspect of Saturday's events is easily overlooked, namely, what the protesters sought. Answer: the trashing of the Constitution. That is not what they wrote on their placards; there they demanded a legislative committee to investigate the shooting. But the shooting is a criminal case and falls under the jurisdiction of the Judicial Yuan. Now the pan-blues suggest having a referendum on the issue, despite the fact that no referendum result can be valid if it conflicts with the Constitution.
Mob rule, the junking of the Constitution when it doesn't serve their ends, contempt for the legal system, obstruction of the very tasks they have demanded be undertaken, contempt for Taiwan's international reputation and indifference to the very real negative economic consequences of the anarchy they are promoting -- this is what the pan-blues stand for. The irony is that they ran their election campaign on the theme of being able to provide stability and prosperity. It has become obvious now who cares about and can provide stability. Let us hope therefore for an overwhelming pan-green victory in December.
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
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