A document known as the New Culture Discourse (新文化論述), written by DPP Legislator Lee Wen-chung (李文忠) on the topic of solving ethnic conflicts, was the subject of much controversy this week.
While the discourse was aimed at smoothing out tensions among ethnic groups, mainly those between Mainlanders and Hoklo people, more commonly known as Taiwanese, the media this week focused on a part of the essay entitled Surpassing Conflicts, Deep-rooting Reform, which says that "there will be no suitable environment in the next two or three decades for the Republic of China (ROC) to change its national name."
The essay also says that it is possible to find a way out of the controversy involving the ROC, as a symbol, because a huge proportion of Mainlanders and Hoklo people identify with the ROC -- and the name also placates China.
By seeming to disengage from the national discourse on sovereignty, the essay angered pro-independence figures in the pan-green camp while also failing to please those who wish to maintain the status quo or unify with China.
Too controversial
Lee was the chief architect of the essay. Cabinet Spokesman-designate Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), Council for Hakka Affairs Chairman-designate Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) and DPP Caucus Director-general Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) were originally said to have been involved in the drafting of the essay.
But after the essay was leaked to the media, Chen, Luo and Tsai said that Lee had drafted the essay alone, and that the document was leaked before the group could meet to discuss it.
They said that later, when the group in fact met, they agreed that the part of Lee's essay on the ROC was too controversial and decided not to approve the text.
Earlier, Luo had said that the essay aimed mainly to acknowledge and respect all cultures in Taiwan, including Chinese culture.
Chen expressed similar views.
"We are trying to promote a pluralistic spirit and protect different voices in Taiwan, and promote a comprehensive dialogue among all ethnic groups," Chen said.
Chen specifically said that the members of the group would proceed with legislation to ensure that no one is discriminated against on the basis of political preference, ethnicity, culture, gender or religion.
While Luo and Chen mainly discussed the big-picture reasons behind drafting the essay, Tsai was straightforward in saying that the motivation for it was to strengthen the DPP's support base.
"We developed the essay to help the DPP expand its base of supporters, to ensure that the DPP stays in power," Tsai said.
Tsai also said that the essay was based on the DPP's 1999 Resolution on Taiwan's Future, (
"The pro-independence people want the DPP to pursue independence right away, but at the moment the environment is not suitable. But we can still make attempts in a roundabout way," Tsai said.
But Tsai also said that while the public thought the group's effort to propose a comprehensive approach to ethnic issues was aimed at providing President Chen Shui-bian (
"This aims to appeal to the Hoklo people who do not support the DPP," said Hsu Yung-ming (
Hsu said that research and polls indicate that in this year's presidential election, some people cast ballots in the referendum but did not vote for Chen Shui-bian.
Hsu said that voters in this category were probably Hoklo people who do not entirely identify with and trust Chen -- but that for the DPP, they are voters who might be won over.
"Some Hoklo people still believe that only the KMT is capable of being fair toward Mainlanders, Hoklo people and Hakkas. They are worried that the DPP will be inclined to treat Hoklo people well and cause Mainlanders to complain," Hsu said.
Historical issues
But Hsu said that the essay's attempt to embrace Mainlanders might not work because of still-unresolved historical issues such as 228 Incident. Hsu said that the tension between Hoklo people and Mainlanders would continue to exist.
DPP legislator Lin Cho-shui (
"We should allow time to take care of the issue of national identification. As time goes by, identification with China will fade, but right now they are trying to use political force to drive the issue. Trying to solve what cannot be solved will only cause more conflicts," Lin said.
Lin used the issue of the nation's official language as an example, saying that at present the public is content with Mandarin as the official language -- but that if the legislature began to discuss the issue, there would be endless arguments about it.
"Paying too much attention to the ethnic issue just worsens the situation," Lin said.
"We should allow time to settle our political feuds, and let things develop naturally," Lin said.
"Paying attention to symbols such as the ROC is just a way to solve a current problem, to please the old generation of Mainlanders.
"But we should really think about future generations of Mainlanders," Lin said.
A decision to describe a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Singapore’s Taiwan policy as “erroneous” was made because the city-state has its own “one China policy” and has not followed Beijing’s “one China principle,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said yesterday. It has been a longstanding practice for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to speak on other countries’ behalf concerning Taiwan, Tien said. The latest example was a statement issued by the PRC after a meeting between Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit
Taiwan’s passport ranked 34th in the world, with access to 141 visa-free destinations, according to the latest update to the Henley Passport Index released today. The index put together by Henley & Partners ranks 199 passports globally based on the number of destinations holders can access without a visa out of 227, and is updated monthly. The 141 visa-free destinations for Taiwanese passport holders are a slight decrease from last year, when holders had access to 145 destinations. Botswana and Columbia are among the countries that have recently ended visa-free status for Taiwanese after “bowing to pressure from the Chinese government,” the Ministry
HEALTHCARE: Following a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, Taiwanese traveling overseas for six months would no longer be able to suspend their insurance Measures allowing people to suspend National Health Insurance (NHI) services if they plan to leave the country for six months would be abolished starting Dec. 23, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The decision followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling in 2022 that the regulation was unconstitutional and that it would invalidate the regulation automatically unless the NHIA amended it to conform with the Constitution. The agency would amend the regulations to remove the articles and sections that allow the suspension of NHI services, and also introduce provisional clauses for those who suspended their NHI services before Dec. 23, Shih said. According to
Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) yesterday apologized after the suicide of a civil servant earlier this month and announced that a supervisor accused of workplace bullying would be demoted. On Nov. 4, a 39-year-old information analyst at the Workforce Development Agency’s (WDA) northern branch, which covers greater Taipei and Keelung, as well as Yilan, Lienchiang and Kinmen counties, was found dead in their office. WDA northern branch director Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容), who has been accused of involvement in workplace bullying, would be demoted to a nonsupervisory position, Ho told a news conference in Taipei. WDA Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良) said he would
RSS