On Sept. 9, Wang Lie-ping (王麗萍), spokeswoman of the Million Voices Against Corruption demonstration initiated by former Democratic Progressive Party chairman Shih Ming-teh (施明德), was booed off the podium when she said that, "The people of the Republic of Taiwan will not be defeated by some rain."
Upon hearing Wang's remark, Shih grimaced and the throng of demonstrators demanded an apology, for they found the term "Republic of Taiwan" totally unacceptable. Afterwards, to pacify the disgruntled demonstrators, Shih and his campaign staff offered solemn apologies.
On Sept. 12, Liao Lin-Li-lin (廖林麗玲) and Chen Tsan-hung (陳燦鴻), Taiwan Solidarity Union candidates for the year-end Taipei City Councilor elections, visited Shih and asked him to support the governments efforts to join the UN using the name "Taiwan."
Surprisingly, Shih angrily rebuked the two, wondering where were they in the past when he himself had proposed that Taiwan join the UN under the name Taiwan.
It turns out that the name "Republic of Taiwan" can only be used among certain people.
When Israel fell, the Israeli people were heartbroken and filled with regret.
As seen in Psalms 137:5-6, a poet describe his feelings in the words, "If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its dexterity. Let my tongue cleave to my palate if I will not remember you, if I will not bring to mind Jerusalem during my greatest joy."
Someone who has called himself an "omnipotent warrior" has ended up offering solemn apologies when someone speaks up for the ideals that he himself held to in the past. We have finally understood that the meaning of truth may change depending on the person.
The last paragraph of the Million Voices Against Corruption campaign declaration pledges to rebuild the core values of a civic society. I assumed that seeking President Chen Shui-bian's (
We are finding, however, that these standards only apply to certain people and political parties. When applied to the campaign itself, they immediately turn into "political persecution."
Although the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan has made it clear throughout the anti-Chen campaign that we hope to see the establishment of a political and legal system that conforms to the principles of faith, and that we are not supporting a "certain people," we still receive abusive and threatening phone calls.
If you do not have the right to freely express yourself on the land where you were born; if you do not have the right to identify with that land; if you are being attacked and forced to apologize by a social movement claiming to be "peaceful and rational" for adhering to your own ideals; if that movement threatens and oppresses others simply because they do not share its ideals -- can that movement still be called a social movement and claim to adhere to the values of "love, peace and non-violence?"
If it can, Taiwan's democracy is a disaster.
Andrew Chang is the secretary-general of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan.
Translated by Daniel Cheng
US President Donald Trump is systematically dismantling the network of multilateral institutions, organizations and agreements that have helped prevent a third world war for more than 70 years. Yet many governments are twisting themselves into knots trying to downplay his actions, insisting that things are not as they seem and that even if they are, confronting the menace in the White House simply is not an option. Disagreement must be carefully disguised to avoid provoking his wrath. For the British political establishment, the convenient excuse is the need to preserve the UK’s “special relationship” with the US. Following their White House
Taiwan is a small, humble place. There is no Eiffel Tower, no pyramids — no singular attraction that draws the world’s attention. If it makes headlines, it is because China wants to invade. Yet, those who find their way here by some twist of fate often fall in love. If you ask them why, some cite numbers showing it is one of the freest and safest countries in the world. Others talk about something harder to name: The quiet order of queues, the shared umbrellas for anyone caught in the rain, the way people stand so elderly riders can sit, the
After the coup in Burma in 2021, the country’s decades-long armed conflict escalated into a full-scale war. On one side was the Burmese army; large, well-equipped, and funded by China, supported with weapons, including airplanes and helicopters from China and Russia. On the other side were the pro-democracy forces, composed of countless small ethnic resistance armies. The military junta cut off electricity, phone and cell service, and the Internet in most of the country, leaving resistance forces isolated from the outside world and making it difficult for the various armies to coordinate with one another. Despite being severely outnumbered and
After the confrontation between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday last week, John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, discussed this shocking event in an interview. Describing it as a disaster “not only for Ukraine, but also for the US,” Bolton added: “If I were in Taiwan, I would be very worried right now.” Indeed, Taiwanese have been observing — and discussing — this jarring clash as a foreboding signal. Pro-China commentators largely view it as further evidence that the US is an unreliable ally and that Taiwan would be better off integrating more deeply into