In 1898, the famous French writer Emile Zola wrote an article titled "J'Accuse" in the literary newspaper L'aurore in which he expressed his deep concern over the lack of justice in the case of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, an army officer who had been unjustly arrested and imprisoned on the infamous Devil's Island. The article generated a wide public debate and eventually led to Dreyfus' release.
Similarly, I use the expression "J'Accuse" to express deep concern about the remarks made by French President Nicolas Sarkozy during his visit to Beijing, because his statements are perpetuating the political isolation of Taiwan in the international community.
Making a statement critical of the internal democratic proceedings of Taiwan while speaking in the capital of China does not enhance democracy in Asia, but undermines it. Taiwan is a nation which has worked very hard to achieve its democracy, while China is still ruled by an authoritarian regime that is trying to undermine Taiwan's new-found democracy.
Sarkozy's words show a distinct lack of understanding of the essence and origins of "one China." It means that many Western nations recognize only one government as the government of China, even though from 1949 through the 1970s there were two governments claiming sovereignty over China.
It has never meant that Taiwan is recognized as part of China. In fact, most Western nations merely "acknowledge" or "take note" of the Chinese position. The majority of the international community does not recognize and has never accepted the Chinese position on Taiwan.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Taiwan made a momentous transition to democracy and is no longer ruled by a repressive regime claiming to rule China, but a government which is democratically elected by the people and considers itself responsible for them alone. This fact by itself warrants a reassessment of the outdated policies of the 1970s, leading to the acceptance of Taiwan as a full and equal member of the international community.
Saying that the Taiwan question must be resolved through negotiation misses the key point -- that Taiwan is trying to determine its own future through democratic means, while China is attempting to impose its authoritarian system on Taiwanese through military means.
If Sarkozy wishes to criticize unilateral initiatives then he should criticize China's military buildup opposite Taiwan, in particular the 980-plus short and medium-range missiles pointed at the nation.
The statements made by Sarkozy in Beijing play into China's hands and will embolden China's authoritarian line even further, to the detriment of democracy and stability in East Asia.
The French opposition to the UN referendum in Taiwan betrays France's own principles of "liberte, egalite et fraternite."
Under these principles, France assisted the US in its quest for international recognition in the face of repression.
It is hard to understand why Sarkozy sides with an authoritarian regime against a free and democratic nation that wishes to determine its own future.
The move by Sarkozy is at odds with attempts at the EU to develop a coherent common foreign and security policy. In particular, it contrasts sharply with German Chancellor Angela Merkel's goal of making values such as human rights and democracy an integral part of foreign policy.
I hope Sarkozy is listening and will live up to the expectations we had of him when he came to office, when there were high hopes that he would take a more principled stance in favor of human rights and democracy than his predecessor, former French president Jacques Chirac.
Gerrit van der Wees is editor of Taiwan Communique
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