As a critical event in this country's history, the 228 Incident of 1947 provides Taiwanese with an opportunity to reflect on both the violence and terror of that time and injustices that continue to this day.
The wholesale slaughter -- both arbitrary and strategic -- of tens of thousands of civilians and intellectuals by the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) armed forces ended an all-too-brief period in which Taiwanese freely believed that rule by "China" would be benevolent and enlightened.
The main causes of the 228 Incident were the government's corrupt and inept management, the looting of Taiwan's assets by the new administrators and the general oppression of Taiwanese people. A generation of Taiwanese came to distrust the KMT, cutting off politics from the people and elevating the most discreditable elements of society to positions of power.
Last year's 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally, which protested China's military posturing, was a milestone in Taiwan's political history. From one end of the island to the other, 2 million people formed a human chain in an affirmation of peace and democracy. The impact of the rally is thought to have tipped the presidential campaign in President Chen Shui-bian's (
Yesterday, in the face of continuing threats from Beijing, most recently manifested in its proposed "anti-secession law" (
The public is divided on the need for national independence, and therefore lacks a sense of crisis in the face of this anti-secession legislation. But the 228 Incident serves as a lesson of the bloody folly of assuming that outsiders know what is best for Taiwan.
For this reason, prior to the probable passage of the anti-secession legislation in March, the "oppose annexation, protect Taiwan" campaign is under way. This not only serves to remind Taiwanese of the consequences of the legislation, but also serves to warn China and announce to the international community that many Taiwanese do not intend to suffer unilateral determinations as to its fate.
The anti-secession legislation will more than likely be applied to Taiwanese nationals in China, and ordinary people and businesspeople may be victimized on the slightest pretext. Any statement and any action may be sufficient grounds for Taiwanese to be accused of fomenting secession.
In commemorating the 228 Incident this year, the Hand-in-Hand Taiwan Alliance's campaign represents the spirit of the new era. With the Lunar New Year direct charter flights and the bizarre 10-Point Agreement between Chen and People First Party Chairman James Soong (
The move to denounce the legislation and remind the public of China's ill will is therefore a welcome wake-up call at home, for China and for the international community.
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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