A nephew of the Dalai Lama and former member of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, Khedroob Thondup, 52, yesterday expressed appreciation for Ross Terrill's new book, The New Chinese Empire, at a question-and-answer seminar the author held with academics and officials at the Taiwan Research Institute.
Terrill met with President Chen Shui-bian (
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The seminar was held to illustrate the main ideas in the book.
Born in Calcutta, Khedroob was educated at a well-known Jesuit school in Darjeeling, India, and later at the University of San Francisco, where he was awarded an MBA.
After returning to India, he served as special assistant to the Dalai Lama and traveled extensively with him. In 1980, Khedroob was part of a special team that started dialogue between the Tibetan government-in-exile and the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Describing Tibet at the seminar as "one of the most oppressed autonomous regions without any of the freedoms that have been taken for granted in Taiwan," Khedroob, who now lives in Taiwan, lamented Beijing's grip on Tibet's religious freedom and its abuse of human rights in that country.
He asked the author, a renowned China expert, whether a genuine autonomy is acceptable to Beijing.
Terrill's answer to Khedroob's question was less than encouraging.
"Ask the people in Hong Kong in five years' time and you will have the answer," Terrill said.
The people of Hong Kong, Terrill said, had autonomy promised to them but they will find that the Communist Party will refrain from honoring that pledge.
Noting that Beijing has recently rewritten Hong Kong's Basic Law, Terrill questioned the completeness of an autonomy "that is not guaranteed by law."
If China were to give Taiwan autonomy, according to Terrill, that autonomy would become "a tight noose" around the country's neck.
Urging the Taiwanese people to unite, Terrill predicted that Taiwan would eventually become an independent country. Taiwan's status preserves a balance of power in East Asia, but most countries, though aware of the situation, would not like to talk much about it, he said.
The Chinese leadership, dominated by their imperial mentality, craves respect and does not pay much attention to their country's neighbors, Terril said.
China's attitude towards Taiwan has been "arrogant and insulting," he said, referring to Beijing's labeling of Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) as "scum of the nation" and its vitriol against Chen.
Lai I-chung (
Terril said it is possible that a democratic federation could replace the China of today.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by