Taiwan needs a Taiwanese president.
written: 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 08, 2008

If I was ever bewildered by the amount of support that Chen Shui-bian continued (and continues) to have despite all the corruption scandals plaguing him and his family, after recent events that unfolded in Taipei, I am not that bewildered anymore.

Compare these two scenarios:

Anti-Chen protest in 2007 that attracted at least 300,000 people which disrupted traffic and caused massive human congestion in the Taipei Metro, but left a rare handful injured with scant media reports about police-to-protesters, protesters-to-police violence; and

Anti-China protest that occurred just this week in Taipei that reportedly left 100 over policemen and protesters injured with a copious amount of media reports about police violence, police confiscation of pro-independence banners and the Taiwanese national flag, and (largely exaggerated) predictions of Taiwan returning to its martial law period under Chiang Kai-shek.

The glaring difference between the two scenarios? In the first, Chen was president; in the second, Ma Yin-jeou is president.

I love Taiwan for many reasons: amazing food, amazingly hot guys, gorgeous Mandarin accent, my precious childhood memories, its chaotic freedom. But there's one thing about Taiwan that I could always count on when faced with accusations that Asia and democracy do not go hand in hand, and it has nothing to do with all the things I listed. It is Taiwan's free-wheeling liberal democracy, its respect for human rights, its free civil society.

But what is "Taiwan"? It is the people, it is the government, and it is only as free as the government is willing to accept limitations on its powers and respect the sovereignty of the people. Disappointed as I am in the handful of protesters that incited violence against the police, I am also extremely disappointed in the government's response to the entirely legitimate protest. Confiscating banners? Confiscating flags? I am all for economic development and economic growth, but please don't lie to the people and say that closer trade ties with China will not compromise Taiwan's national identity. It will, and it already has, and the only person that doesn't seem to realise this is the President himself.

Ma Yin-jeou's presidency is increasingly likely to go down as one by which Taiwan's 59 years of de facto independence is undermined in a mere span of four years. His policy towards China is extremely short-sighted, and live issues relating to Taiwan's legal status, Taiwan's sovereignty, don't appear to be anywhere on his agenda. It is not merely about stabilising tension between the two countries; it is also about solving Taiwan's long-term problems that the status quo will not magically erase. Trade talks with China are not, cannot, and will never be conducted independently of political issues, because these "peripheral" political issues aren't part of the many questions to be answered; they are the only question. Cosy up to China all you will, but please do not do so at the expense of Taiwan's national identity.

I used to scoff at crazy pan-Green extremists who said that Ma wasn't fit to be president because he wasn't born in Taiwan. Now, I'm actually beginning to see the validity of that argument. For all his faults (and trust me, there are many), Chen, at the very least, never once undermined Taiwan's sovereignty in relation to China. Sure, he pushed the envelop too far, but one could never doubt that he had Taiwan's national interests at heart.

I can't say the same for Ma anymore and it makes me really, really sad. One wonders what was the real impetus behind the use of police oppression against the protesters: was it merely to maintain order, or was it to ensure that the Chinese person whose name I'm not bothered to remember doesn't get hurt? How can you possibly suppress the free dissent of your own people in favour of a foreigner?

For the sake of Taiwan's future, the DPP really should get its act together and stop being so damn barbaric and find a candidate worthy enough to be Taiwan's next president. The KMT has proved itself incapable of talking economics without compromising Taiwan's sovereignty, and since it's unlikely that another political party is going to materialse within the next four years, the only alternative is the DPP.

I hate to be pessimistic, but that is probably the most depressing conclusion I've reached in a long, long time. Is it really about choosing between the lesser of two evils now? At times like these, I really wish China would just go and die.

***

This editorial sums up all my misgivings against Ma and the present KMT government. I just...I don't even know what to say anymore. I don't.

Lastly, a quote from this article, "China can learn from Taiwan's political system in order to carry out democratic reforms and Taiwan could learn from the mainland to accelerate economic growth."

Taiwan could learn from CHINA (what the fuck mainland) to accelerate economic growth? Really? Like what, mixing melamine into milk powder and killing your own babies? Setting up so many industrial plants that your pollution is completely out of control, then denying everything and accusing other rich nations of doing the same? Thanks, but no thanks. At least "made in Taiwan" products never had the same bad rep that "made in China" products continue to have.

before sunrise // before sunset


Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010