I had to brush away my tears as I wrote this article. Ever since the scandal surrounding former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) family and corruption erupted earlier this month, I have felt like a bird with broken wings falling into a deep valley.
My grief is greater than the pain I experienced when I was expelled from National Chengchi University for criticizing Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rule in 1974. It is even greater than the pain I experienced when I was being haunted by KMT spies, or when I witnessed the party’s oppression through wiretaps, mail censorship and interference in the job sector. My grief is greater than the pain I felt upon seeing political corruption or the Democratic Progressive Party get defeated in the elections.
For many years, we suffered under KMT authoritarianism and corruption. But such pain actually increased our morale and our determination to pursue democratic justice. Unfortunately, many people are now greatly upset, as the person who had portrayed himself as the messiah and who had vowed to rid Taiwan of corruption, has revealed to be a devil himself.
When Chen was elected president in 2000, a vendor at a market in Tainan gave away free zongzi, or glutinous rice dumplings, for three days to celebrate the win. I wonder how this hard-working vendor feels about Chen now?
Chen and his wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), owe us some answers.
Why should the public, which looked up to you and had great expectations of you, be bullied and tortured so recklessly by you? How many zongzi would that vendor have to sell to make the hundreds of millions of dollars your family wired overseas? Do you know how hard your supporters will have to work to make up for the huge amount of money you stole from us?
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was accused of embezzlement in relation to his “special allowance funds” while he was Taipei mayor. Ma was eventually cleared. People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) also put political donations into his son and sister-in-law’s bank accounts and has allegedly purchased five luxury houses in the US.
However, Taiwanese have learned to expect such reports when it comes to the KMT, which is now in a position to manipulate the courts. It seems there is little we can do anyway.
Unfortunately, Chen, who had vowed to fight KMT corruption, has become one of them.
The KMT’s authoritarianism and corruption compelled Taiwanese to fight for justice and democracy. But the corruption scandal involving the Chen family has broken many hearts and — perhaps even worse — has allowed the KMT to paint itself as pure in comparison.
The damage caused by this scandal to Taiwan as a sovereign state is far greater than the damage done by the KMT or the Chinese Communist Party.
Suffering from a heart rhythm disorder, my doctor has told me to stop being so concerned about the fate of the nation and its people. I know, however, that he is as concerned about these things as I am, as both of us are from Madou Township (麻豆) in Tainan County, Wu’s hometown. The impact of this scandal is therefore much greater on us than on others.
Please forgive an uncooperative patient like me, doctor. I care because I truly love Taiwan and such true love will never die.
Lee Hsiao-feng is a professor in the Graduate School of Taiwanese Culture at National Taipei University of Education.
TRANSLATED BY EDDY CHANG
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