Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Taiwanese youth speak up...
This is not a "Taiwan Area", rather this is the nation of Taiwan.
I do NOT want to become a citizen of China.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Deer in the Headlights, Sheep for the Slaughter -- Taiwanese Citizens Blind to the Reality of the KMT
J. Michael Cole writes in the Taipei Times on how it is possible that the majority of the Taiwanese population in a free press society may be effectively as blinded as those under the thumb and propaganda of the dictatorship in China.
Dr. Jerome Keating writes a piece entitled, "When will Taiwan awaken ... the KMT leech has always Been at your Throat" in three parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 2, and a Post Script which surveys recent news illustrating "the condescending and demeaning attitude that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has always had towards Taiwan and its people." In the end he appeals to the Taiwanese people, "You were duped by Ma's election promises in 2008, but you still have the power to vote the vermin out once and for all. 2009 has many elections, prepare!"
Dr. Jerome Keating writes a piece entitled, "When will Taiwan awaken ... the KMT leech has always Been at your Throat" in three parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 2, and a Post Script which surveys recent news illustrating "the condescending and demeaning attitude that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has always had towards Taiwan and its people." In the end he appeals to the Taiwanese people, "You were duped by Ma's election promises in 2008, but you still have the power to vote the vermin out once and for all. 2009 has many elections, prepare!"
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
March 16 talk on Taiwan - U.S. - China relations
Stephen J. Yates, a former advisor to V.P. Dick Cheney on Asia will be speaking on 30 years of Taiwan, U.S. and China relations at the Taiwan National Security Institute on Monday, March 16. (The announcement letter mentions that the talk will be in the Beijing Mandarin 北京話.) The event is from 2-4:30 p.m. There will be a time for Q&A.
It is always good to reach out to former administration officials in the United States and help them have a better connection and better understanding of Taiwan because it is always possible that they will be posted to an even higher office in a future administration.
Location: 臺北市徐州路21號Taipei City, Hsu-Chou Road, No. 21 (National Taiwan University Law School International Conference Center)
Please RSVP if you'd like to go.
RSVP fax 0 2 . 2 3 5 6 . 3 5 4 2
E m a i l : w u f i . d a t a @ m s a . h i n e t . n e t
For More information: 黃小姐 0 2 . 2 3 5 7 . 6 6 5 6
It is always good to reach out to former administration officials in the United States and help them have a better connection and better understanding of Taiwan because it is always possible that they will be posted to an even higher office in a future administration.
Location: 臺北市徐州路21號Taipei City, Hsu-Chou Road, No. 21 (National Taiwan University Law School International Conference Center)
Please RSVP if you'd like to go.
RSVP fax 0 2 . 2 3 5 6 . 3 5 4 2
E m a i l : w u f i . d a t a @ m s a . h i n e t . n e t
For More information: 黃小姐 0 2 . 2 3 5 7 . 6 6 5 6
A small bit of good news for Taiwan from the U.S.
"Charles W. Freeman Jr. has requested that his selection to be Chairman of the National Intelligence Council not proceed. Director Blair accepted Ambassador Freeman's decision with regret," the statement said.
The announcement came just hours after [Dennis] Blair defended Freeman before a Senate committee.
But Freeman had become a political lightning rod since he was tapped two weeks ago for the post.
Lawmakers had objected to several controversial statements Freeman has made about Israel and Iraq. And they said the former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia was too close to that country, as well as to China."
-- Fox News
The announcement came just hours after [Dennis] Blair defended Freeman before a Senate committee.
But Freeman had become a political lightning rod since he was tapped two weeks ago for the post.
Lawmakers had objected to several controversial statements Freeman has made about Israel and Iraq. And they said the former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia was too close to that country, as well as to China."
-- Fox News
Monday, March 9, 2009
At the Gravesite
浴火歷史的民主價值 --- 撰文/吳乃德 Wu Naiteh
二、二八週年將至。社會輿論的主流意見是：拋棄歷史悲情，迎向光明未來。可是在拋棄歷史悲情之前，我們是否已經從它獲得足夠的教訓和反省呢？我們已經從中知道如何建立更光明的未來了嗎？
「一個由獨裁政治過渡到民主的國家，有兩個必須履行的義務。第一個責任是對它的受難者。第二個責任是對國家的未來：確保獨裁永遠不再回來。這個國家必須創造一個新的、民主的政治文化。」一個民族如何面對它的過去，決定了它將如何建立未來。 ...continued...
Thursday, March 5, 2009
How pro-KMT or China's media in Taiwan attempted to neutralize the 228 issue this year
Here is an article analyzing an attempt by pro-China or pro-KMT media including the China Times, CTV and CTITV to distort the issues of 228, to mischaracterize those who are seeking justice, and to divert the blame and responsibility for the massacre away from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the tens of thousands who supported and profited from this corrupt regime.
As I watched evening news cycles of February 28th, I wondered why in the world CTV went to Shanghai and kept highlighting an interview with some old man living in Shanghai who was reminiscing about the 228 events. Why go all the way to Shanghai, when you have so many people in Taiwan whom you could interview? Now we see the agenda behind it.
China and KMT loyalists cannot seem to bring themselves to directly face the evil of the regimes they followed and profited from. They speak about healing and regret, but all of their comments ring hollow --as if what is really going on in their minds if they dared say it: never bring up the issue again; don't talk about it any more; we don't want it to be used against us or be negative political baggage in our pursuit for power.
In contrast to the distortions in the media, here is an actual perspective representing victims of the KMT regime:
In an interview on February 28, Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) -- someone who along with his family has suffered the most outrageous and grievous injustice perpetrated by the the KMT dictatorship -- said the following:
The KMT might not be afraid of the Communists in China anymore, but they certainly seem to be afraid of the truth of their past governance and their self-exalting dictators Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo.
In a letter to the editor, one reader - Kris Liao of San Francisco - comments that "Despite Ma’s gestures of reconciliation toward 228 victims’ families, the wound of the savage incident will never heal because Ma and his KMT followers continue to exonerate the Chiangs’ crimes by saying they did not do the killing themselves and therefore should not be held accountable."
One might add, when such a crucial piece of Taiwan's history and identity is not clearly taught and studied in the schools, then the current Ma government apologies are meaningless.
When the subject in Taiwan is brought up, there is often the response of "let's not talk about that." But actually that is precisely what needs to be done, in the neighborhoods, in the schools, in the work place, in the government, in the public eye. Only after there is genuine truth and reconciliation can the matter be at peace.
===========
So let's talk about it:
Massacre in
• Taipei at National Taiwan Normal University and National Taiwan University
• Keelung
• Yunlin & Nantou book release, individual families
• Pingtung
As I watched evening news cycles of February 28th, I wondered why in the world CTV went to Shanghai and kept highlighting an interview with some old man living in Shanghai who was reminiscing about the 228 events. Why go all the way to Shanghai, when you have so many people in Taiwan whom you could interview? Now we see the agenda behind it.
China and KMT loyalists cannot seem to bring themselves to directly face the evil of the regimes they followed and profited from. They speak about healing and regret, but all of their comments ring hollow --as if what is really going on in their minds if they dared say it: never bring up the issue again; don't talk about it any more; we don't want it to be used against us or be negative political baggage in our pursuit for power.
In contrast to the distortions in the media, here is an actual perspective representing victims of the KMT regime:
In an interview on February 28, Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) -- someone who along with his family has suffered the most outrageous and grievous injustice perpetrated by the the KMT dictatorship -- said the following:
“It is a great insult to the Taiwanese people when the government employs abundant resources to commemorate a man who is perceived by most historians in other countries as a dictator,” Lin said when asked by reporters for comments on the government's plan to change the name of the hall back to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
“To this day, who should be held accountable for the 228 Incident remains unknown,” he said. “All the memorial services and compensation for the 228 Incident are meaningless if it remains unclear who should be held responsible.”
[and about Ma's comments...]
"...whether or not one apologizes is meaningless to overall social progress."
"...People who have committed mistakes should admit their wrongdoings and make a sincere effort to right their wrongs — not just offer an apology..."
"...to the families of the 228 Incident victims, an apology would not erase the wounds...The key is to set the record straight and let truth about the 228 Incident be known so that future generations can learn from the past."
Taipei Times 2009/3/1
The KMT might not be afraid of the Communists in China anymore, but they certainly seem to be afraid of the truth of their past governance and their self-exalting dictators Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo.
In a letter to the editor, one reader - Kris Liao of San Francisco - comments that "Despite Ma’s gestures of reconciliation toward 228 victims’ families, the wound of the savage incident will never heal because Ma and his KMT followers continue to exonerate the Chiangs’ crimes by saying they did not do the killing themselves and therefore should not be held accountable."
One might add, when such a crucial piece of Taiwan's history and identity is not clearly taught and studied in the schools, then the current Ma government apologies are meaningless.
When the subject in Taiwan is brought up, there is often the response of "let's not talk about that." But actually that is precisely what needs to be done, in the neighborhoods, in the schools, in the work place, in the government, in the public eye. Only after there is genuine truth and reconciliation can the matter be at peace.
===========
So let's talk about it:
Massacre in
• Taipei at National Taiwan Normal University and National Taiwan University
• Keelung
• Yunlin & Nantou book release, individual families
• Pingtung
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