The year 1626 was a turning point for the city we now know as New York. In that year, the director-general of the Dutch West India Co, Peter Minuit, "purchased" Manhattan Island from Native Americans for the now legendary price of 60 guilders. This formally began the colonization of New York, which the Dutch called New Amsterdam.
At that time, Dutch settlers did not take much of an interest in agriculture, and focused on the more lucrative fur trade. Corruption and lax trading policies plagued the area. In the 1630s and early 1640s, the Dutch director- generals carried on a brutal series of campaigns against the area's Native Americans, largely succeeding in crushing the strength of the "River Indians."
The year 1624 was a turning point for Taiwan. In that year, the director-general of the Dutch East India Co, Martinus Sonck, arrived in Tainan and began the colonization of Taiwan. At that time, Dutch settlers in Taiwan, like their counterparts in New York, focused on the lucrative trade in deer fur. An average of 150,000 deer skins were exported to Europe per year.
Among East India Co's 25 Asian locations, Taiwan was ranked second in profits, accounting for almost 4 tonnes of gold that was shipped back to its Amsterdam headquarters.
At that time, Dutch settlers of Taiwan, also like their counterparts in New York, killed many natives, notably in the 1635 massacre of 25 people in Ma-Do and the 1658 massacre of 250 people, most of whom were women.
Today, at the beginning of 2006, New York is no longer colonized and has become the world's financial and artistic center. The famous TV series Sex and City, which portrays life in New York, is viewed regularly by millions worldwide. Similarly, the Sept. 11 tragedy drew the sympathy of millions of people throughout the world.
New York's achievements would have been impossible without the courage and wisdom of the founding fathers of US, who famously wrote "we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
The founding fathers of US decided to stand up against Great Britain because of its "history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these States." Therefore, "the Representatives of the United States of America, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do."
Yet, for Taiwan, which has gone through colonization by the Dutch, the Qing Dynasty and Japan, this year is one of international obscurity. When President Chen Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) proposed using the name Taiwan to apply for UN membership, he was criticized by the US government.
Taiwan, which in 17th century shared the same fate of colonization with New York, has suffered more than the US over the last four centuries. Taiwan is now facing China, which has conducted massacres in Tibet, suppressed religions and groups such as the Falun Gong and aimed more than 800 missiles at Taiwan.
The brutality of China, which far exceeds that of 18th century Britain, is now gaining the support of the US government. What can be more absurd and tragic than this US government, which has betrayed its founding fathers?
Today, the people of Taiwan have as much right as the founding fathers of the US to fight for the independence of their country. The US government ought to change its shortsighted "one China" policy.
Taiwan in 2006, just like the US in 1776, deserves to be an independent country, and its people -- like the people of the US -- deserve to enjoy the rights of liberty and prosperity.
Bob Kuo is a professor of information systems at National Sun Yat-sen University.
It is employment pass renewal season in Singapore, and the new regime is dominating the conversation at after-work cocktails on Fridays. From September, overseas employees on a work visa would need to fulfill the city-state’s new points-based system, and earn a minimum salary threshold to stay in their jobs. While this mirrors what happens in other countries, it risks turning foreign companies away, and could tarnish the nation’s image as a global business hub. The program was announced in 2022 in a bid to promote fair hiring practices. Points are awarded for how a candidate’s salary compares with local peers, along
China last month enacted legislation to punish —including with the death penalty — “die-hard Taiwanese independence separatists.” The country’s leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), need to be reminded about what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has said and done in the past. They should think about whether those historical figures were also die-hard advocates of Taiwanese independence. The Taiwanese Communist Party was established in the Shanghai French Concession in April 1928, with a political charter that included the slogans “Long live the independence of the Taiwanese people” and “Establish a republic of Taiwan.” The CCP sent a representative, Peng
Japan and the Philippines on Monday signed a defense agreement that would facilitate joint drills between them. The pact was made “as both face an increasingly assertive China,” and is in line with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s “effort to forge security alliances to bolster the Philippine military’s limited ability to defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea,” The Associated Press (AP) said. The pact also comes on the heels of comments by former US deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, who said at a forum on Tuesday last week that China’s recent aggression toward the Philippines in
The Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday announced that the military would hold its annual Han Kuang exercises from July 22 to 26. Military officers said the exercises would feature unscripted war games, and a decentralized command and control structure. This year’s exercises underline the recent reforms in Taiwan’s military as it transitions from a top-down command structure to one where autonomy is pushed down to the front lines to improve decisionmaking and adaptability. Militaries around the world have been observing and studying Russia’s war in Ukraine. They have seen that the Ukrainian military has been much quicker to adapt to