Warming relations or hot air?
When Ma Ying Jeou was elected earlier this year as the president of Taiwan, the Western media hailed it as a hallmark step towards the improving of relations between Taiwan and China. Since the election more and more articles have been written about how relations are warming and how the ties between the two countries are at an all-time high. This could not be farther from what is referred to as reality, or for that matter the truth.
If relations are really warming up, why does China still have over 1800 plus ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan? Military spending in China hit an all time high this past year, and will most definitely increase again next year. China regularly holds military exercises that simulate an attack on the sovereign island of Taiwan. Are these actions indicative of countries with warming ties and good relations? Why does China continue to adamantly deny Taiwan access into any international organization, most notably the United Nations and the World Health Organization? During the Olympics, Taiwan was once again referred to by the ridiculous moniker, “Chinese Taipei,” a slap in the face to all Taiwanese. Taiwan was also prohibited from flying our own national flag and playing our own national anthem at the games. Are these the signs of improving relations?
In August, Ma Ying Jeou, on his way to and back from a diplomatic trip to South America, made stopovers in the U.S., as well as Mexico, where he took the liberty of being interviewed by various foreign news agencies. Ma bragged that by establishing direct cross-straight flights between Taiwan and China, the influx of 3000 Chinese tourists a day would immediately rescue Taiwan’s faltering economy, as well as ease tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Well, it’s been over 100 days since Ma Ying Jeou took office. Where are all the Chinese tourists? The answer is they’re still in China. The real numbers tell a rather different story. Since direct flights started in mid-July, the average number of Chinese tourists a week has hovered around a paltry, penny pinching 300 Chinese. That’s about 43 tourists a day on average, which are only 2,957 tourists short of Ma Ying Jeou’s campaign promise of 3000 a day.
The problem with Ma Ying Jeou and KMT is that their idea of improved and warming relations with China is nothing more than complete capitulation of all the democratic progress and development that Taiwan has fought for over the past eight years. Of all the countries in the world, only one is openly hostile towards Taiwan. Only one country in the world has given itself the right to attack Taiwan by creating an insane and laughable law (Anti-Secession Law) passed by nothing more than a mere rubberstamp congress. Only one country on this planet actively brainwashes its own citizens (about 1.2 billion) into thinking that the completely independent and democratic island of Taiwan is a part of their completely communist country. To think that the key to rescuing Taiwan’s economy and international standing lies in closer ties, and eventually possible reunification, with this country is not only ludicrous, but delusional.
The future of Taiwan must be one which is decided by the 23,000,000 Taiwanese citizens of this island and this island alone. Taiwan has developed into one of the most democratic countries in Asia where freedom of speech and human rights are sacrosanct. What does Taiwan have to gain from aligning itself with the most corrupt and most brainwashed country on the planet? Earlier this year, Freedom House’s report ranked Taiwan 32nd out of 195 countries in terms of overall freedom of the press. China was close behind Taiwan at the 181st position out of 195. The entire world witnessed what happened when ordinary citizens exercise their right to protest and to free speech in China during the 2008 Olympics, jail. Incarceration was followed by immediate deportation for foreigners, and one can only imagine what happened to the Chinese who were fearless enough to take a stand for human rights.
For Ma Ying Jeou to think that China is the solution to all of Taiwan’s problems, when it’s actually the cause of all our problems, shows his complete lack of understanding about Taiwan and the country where he is now sadly president. What sane Taiwanese individual would choose to give up all of their rights as a free democratic citizen to become part of a communist country where citizens are fed propaganda and lies twenty-four hours a day? If Ma Ying Jeou and the KMT are so enthusiastic about returning to the China, I suggest they take the initiative and go first before they run this country into the ground.
14 Comments:
This is really interesting... keep writing. :)
AMEN. Let's hope that the people of Taiwan will wake up, and elections in 4 years can still be held, to stop this alarming trend of de-Taiwanization and pro-unification that Ma has most OBVIOUSLY been leading a path towards
well written.
And he will open the chinese students studying in Taiwan without any plan. He would better just admit that himself is the one of the area head in the greater CHINA.
Well Done, man!
made in china stay in china
說的太棒了
wow my dad just showed me a clip of you on taiwanyes.com standing up in front of the lecture!
So glad there's people like you out there willing to fight for our rights.
add oil!!
we'll never belong to them!.
Good job! Please try to send your articles to the news agencies in the U.S.
Dear Eric,
Thank you for your informative, well written accounts of the events going on in Taiwan. May God see fit to allow Taiwan to remain free long enough to hold another round of elections and oust the Ma administration. Keep up the excellent work!
Catherine
A bunch of craps!
Well...what can I say.
Call 800-got-junk.
Hi,
I just wonder if you can translate loofah daily report into English.
So I can publish them to USA congressman.
We need to let the whole world know KMT wrongdoing in Taiwan.
The secret police is hitting peole by faking as uncercover.
We need to reveal the fact
Such as
銘謝中正第一分局李金田分局長， 提供寶貴情資，讓67號便衣特務真面目相片昭告天下、公諸於世
抓到! 抓到了! 藍營支持者李廷鈞混入群眾推倒拒馬
【號外! 號外! 】民眾目擊蘋果日報刊登的李廷鈞有丟汽油彈
Thanks
http://loofahdaily.blogspot.com
loofahdaily@gmail.com
【絲瓜日報】部落格
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/green-pod/
My email addr
loofahdaily@gmail.com
台湾加油。
台湾是台湾人的国家。
Points of Controversy in Former President Chen’s Detention
Former Vice President Annette Lu is no stranger to persecution and bad-mouthing from both the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as well as the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). Until now after leaving office, she has been relatively silent on the recent abuses of the KMT dominated judiciary system under Ma Ying-jeou. In the following statement however, she does not hold back and adds her voice and legal experience to the many other critics of the heavy-handed measures used by the KMT judiciary. Ms. Lu, a Harvard educated lawyer goes into great detail on the specifics of the abuses.
On September 25, 150 investigators from the Special Investigation Team descended on 27 residential and office addresses related to former Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian to search for and confiscate evidence against him. Subsequently, 9 people were detained on reasons that they might forge evidence or fabricate stories to help Chen. On November 11, Chen went to the investigation court to answer questions. After more than 8 hours questioning, the court ordered him to be detained on charges of money laundering, embezzling State Affairs funds, and forging documents, even though he had not even been formally indicted. Chen was led away in handcuffs. He is the first former head of state to go to prison. Viewing the whole incident as political persecution, Chen decided to give up appeal as a means of protest. He has been on a hunger strike ever since, and was hospitalized on Nov. 17.
Chen’s detention has been widely seen as a political purge – a political manipulation aimed at destroying the DPP. In the process, not only has due process of law not been observed, but Chen’s human rights have been greatly abused.
Points of controversy in the Special Investigation Division’s handling of this case include:
As far as all former presidents were concerned, the State Affairs Fund is a special fund that is for the president to use freely as he wishes and is not subject to scrutiny. This practice was instated by
1. the KMT fifty years ago and has been observed by all presidents without any question. What is unusual about President Chen’s use of this fund is the unprecedented step taken by the Ministry of Audit in demanding that receipts relating to the fund be provided for verification.
Furthermore, all the political contribution Chen received has been treated as bribery, whereas KMT’s has never been questioned or scrutinized.
2. Despite the investigators’ and prosecutors’ high drama, from start to finish, judicial procedure has been violated in this case. Long before President Chen was detained, many of his subordinates, relatives, friends, and even his son and daughter were targeted, creating an atmosphere of political persecution in which people were taken into custody to extract statements and homes were confiscated and entire families threatened.
3. Further evidence for the politicization of the judiciary is the fact that although the law clearly states that all criminal investigations must be conducted within closed door, information about Chen’s case has been leaked to certain pro-KMT TV commentators on daily basis, who fully utilize the information to blacken Chen, to sway public opinion, and to brain-wash their TV audiences into believing Chen is guilty beyond doubt. Even Taiwan’s Minister of Justice has appeared on television to express her views on the case.
4. Despite having served eight years as head of state, and even though he was not being indicted, Chen was surrounded by 3,000 officers and placed in handcuffs in order to be detained. His detention is clearly an attack on his human rights. Taiwan’s Code of Criminal Procedure states that detention can be ordered “if someone is likely to abscond, destroy, forge or alter evidence, or conspire with a co-offender or witness.” Given that Chen has already had three months to do any of these things, his detention clearly serves other purposes. This is most likely part of the ruling administration’s plan to discredit Chen and to humiliate him in public.
In Taiwan, major government officials and county and city mayors all have special funds at their disposal. It’s a common practice
5.that’s been observed for 50 years, and like the President’s State Affairs Fund, the users have never been asked by the Ministry of Audit to verify them.
But since former President Chen was accused of mishandling the State Affairs Fund, KMT and DPP started to accuse each other’s past or current officials and mayors for mishandling their special funds, and many law suits have been brought to court. However, out of the 6,800 officials who enjoy that privilege, only 6 have been targeted for persecution – all members of the DPP. Although many cases of KMT officials’ mishandling of the special funds have also been brought to the courts’ attention, including former Taipei Mayor (now President) Ma Ying-jeou, former Vice President Lien Chan, former premier Vincent Siew, current Taipei Mayor Hou Long-bin and many more, Ma has been acquitted, and none of the other KMT cases has been investigated to date.
No wonder people suspect that Chen’s detention is part of a wider political purge being carried out by the newly elected administration under President Ma Ying-jeou.
6. In addition, in the past two weeks, two serving county and city mayors who are members of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party were taken into custody without warning on charges of corruption. This is seen by many as an attempt to besmirch their names in advance of next year’s local government elections. In contrast, in the last two years, eight KMT mayors have been accused of corruption, but none of them has been detained or charged.
In a democratic state, the judiciary should be independent of the executive and legislative branches of government. Regrettably, it seems that Taiwan’s judiciary under Ma’s administration has not only failed to exercise its constitutional function but has also been used for political prosecution.
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