Thursday, December 27, 2012

Like Communists, the KMT ignores property rights.

Forced takeover of farmers' lands: the old KMT standby to seize money and power. If you are silent this time, they may come for your private property next.

Whenever you get a party in power like the KMT who do not care about Taiwan and who do not have a Taiwanese identity, you get a party that only looks at money and power. Elements in the KMT are also connect with organized crime, and, oftentimes, these mob bosses have a say in different policies. Further, like the Democrat party in the U.S. which desires to solidify their power by giving citizenship to illegal aliens from Mexico, the KMT would probably like to allow an influx of Chinese if they thought the Chinese immigrants would vote KMT. Finally, an influx of rich Chinese would pump money into all of those who are invested in the vast production of housing units, large new apartment complexes, etc. that remain empty.

Though the KMT have gotten a solid voting block from the Hakka out of playing fears of Hoklo insensitivity, the KMT are still going after Hakka farmers' lands

An example of this situation can also be seen in the new town scheme in Tamsui:

The Taipei Times reports the following in an article "Tamsui farmers protest project" by Loa Iok-sin.

=======================================

Farmers from Tamsui District (淡水) in New Taipei City (新北市) yesterday protested against a town project proposed by the Construction and Planning Agency (CPA) on concerns that, in addition to forced land seizures, the project could damage the local environment.

“I live in a small house with a small plot of land attached to it. I grow vegetables on the land for my own consumption,” a local land owner in her 60s, Su Shu-yuan (蘇淑媛), said at a news conference at the legislature. “I don’t live a fancy life, but I’d say my life is good — what am I going to do if you [the government] take away my land?”

She said that, in order to keep her land, she has expressed her opposition to the land expropriation in letters to the Presidential Office, the CPA, the Control Yuan, the Ministry of the Interior and the New Taipei City Government, “but none of them seemed to really care about what I asked for.”

“I know you are trying hard to convince us, but I am absolutely opposed to the project. Don’t even think about taking my land. I want to live the way I’ve always lived,” she added.

Su, as well as thousands of other homeowners in the area, are in a panic because the second phase of the Tamhai New Town (淡海新市鎮) project is to undergo a final review next month, and land expropriations could start as soon as the project is approved. The Tamhai New Town project is an urban planning project first proposed in 1992 to create a new town using 1,756 hectares of land — covering as many as six farming villages — north of central Tamsui to relocate 300,000 people from the overcrowded Taipei metropolitan area.

After 20 years of development, the first phase of the project has been completed on 446 hectares. However, while the first-phase area was designed for 130,000 people, only 13,000 have moved in so far. The second phase of the project, on the other hand, covers 1,168 hectares of land — which includes 871.33 hectares of farmland that is mostly still being used for agricultural production.

Huang Jui-mao (黃瑞茂), an associate professor in Tamkang University’s Department of Agriculture, called the second phase a “lie.”

“Despite investments made in the past 20 years, the majority of housing units are still unsold, while as many as three-fourths of the land in the first phase of the new town project is still unoccupied,” he said. “How could you move on to the second phase now, especially as the surface area of the second phase is much larger than the first?”

He added that, as food shortages are becoming a global concern and food self-sufficiency is a problem in Taiwan, “why would you take over farmland on the edge of a metropolitan area for development?”

Huang Tsung-chuan (黃宗傳), a local farmer, raised doubts about traffic and environmental issues.

read more...

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Why Taiwan needs to Maintain a Name that Cannot be Confused with China's

"A good name is better than great riches." Proverbs 22:1

The following article comes from Oregon Live by Rachel Stark on December 23, 2012

Julie Keith found the following letter in a package of Halloween decorations made in China.

The letter apparently was placed in the packaging at the factory where it was produced in China -- a hell-hole of slavery populated by anyone the brutal authoritarian Chinese regime thought was politically or religiously unacceptable.

With such a stench attached to the name "China" growing over time, it is very important that Taiwan distance itself from the name, "China." There must be a clear distinction or Taiwan's reputation will be polluted.

Following are excerpts from the article:
==============================

...on a Sunday afternoon in October, Keith ... intended to decorate her home in Damascus for her daughter's fifth birthday, just days before Halloween.

She ripped open the box and threw aside the cellophane.

That's when Keith found it. Scribbled onto paper and folded into eighths, the letter was tucked between two Styrofoam headstones.

"Sir:

"If you occasionally buy this product, please kindly resend this letter to the World Human Right Organization. Thousands people here who are under the persicution of the Chinese Communist Party Government will thank and remember you forever." The graveyard kit, the letter read, was made in unit 8, department 2 of the Masanjia Labor Camp in Shenyang, China.

Chinese characters broke up choppy English sentences.

"People who work here have to work 15 hours a day without Saturday, Sunday break and any holidays. Otherwise, they will suffer torturement, beat and rude remark. Nearly no payment (10 yuan/1 month)."

Ten yuan is equivalent to $1.61.

"People who work here, suffer punishment 1-3 years averagely, but without Court Sentence (unlaw punishment). Many of them are Falun Gong practitioners, who are totally innocent people only because they have different believe to CCPG. They often suffer more punishment than others."

The letter was not signed.

Shocked, Keith sat down as her mind reeled.

... "We're in no position to confirm the veracity or origin of this," said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. "I think it is fair to say the conditions described in the letter certainly conform to what we know about conditions in re-education through labor camps."

China's re-education through labor is a system of punishment that allows for detention without trial. Various reports allege followers of the banned spiritual group, Falun Gong, are sent to the reform camps – claims supported in the letter – but the facts are difficult to confirm.

Masanjia labor camp is located in the industrialized capital of the Liaoning Province in northeast China. A Google search of the camp yields pages of grim results.

"If this thing is the real deal, that's somebody saying please help me, please know about me, please react," Richardson said. "That's our job."

***

Julie Keith now checks the label of everything she buys, down to the Gingerbread house she purchased for the holidays. Her friends, she said, do the same.

"If I really don't need it, I won't buy it if it's made in China," she said. "This has really made me more aware. I hope it would make a difference."

Read more

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Discontent Over Abuse of Power and Corruption under Communist Rule in China

"People are fed up with corruption and high-handed officialdom, pensions that have not kept pace with inflation, and families being forced from their homes to make way for developments." AP China Protest Report The more centralized the power, the oppressive is living under such regimes. That is why de-centralization, democratization, and local control become so important. That is why it is better to have many small sovereign states than one big state. Or at the very least, in a big state, it is served better with a federal system of divided power between national, regional and local representative governments. This is why there these United States of America.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

「台灣國籍宣示運動」說明會

講 者:劉重義教授

*****台中市*******************************************

時間:2012年11月17日(六)下午2:30~5:00

地點:台中市西 區自治街155號6F-2 (台 灣 大地文教基金會)

*****屏東縣*******************************************

時間:2012年11月18日(日)上午9:00~11:30

地點:屏東縣九如鄉九 如路 二段264號2F (九如鄉圖書館)

******************************************************

時間:2012年11月18日(日) 下午2:00~4:30

地點:屏東縣高樹鄉高樹村南興路47號(慈雲寺活動中心)

******************************************************

二次大戰末期美國國務院擔心進步的台灣被落後的中國接 管可 能會 發生 災難,然而,當時的台灣人並沒有強烈要求台灣獨立,結果台灣被「中華民國」 非法佔據,社會變成烏天暗地。

1946年 「中 華民國」非法更改台灣人國籍,英國、美國都表示異議,台灣人卻保持沉默,文明落差很快就引爆二二八民族大屠殺。

迄今,「中華民國」和「中華人 民共和國」兩個「憲法一中」的政權都異口同聲擁有台灣 主 權,美 國、 日本、加拿大等國都不予承認,但是,台灣人卻仍然保持沉默,甚至某些台灣人領導者還附和承認「中華民國」,更糟的還想轉而依附中共統治下 的中國。

「台灣國籍宣示運動」由超過25個本土社團發起,由台杏基金會、台灣基督長老教會、台灣民族黨、台灣民 族同 盟、 白色恐怖史蹟見證者、高雄 市同心會、高雄市台灣加入聯合國協進會、陳文成基金會,共八個社團組成「台 灣國籍宣示委員會」監督運動的進展。此運動基本上是仿愛沙尼亞本土社團從1985年 到1991年 促 成國家 獨 立的一個重要成功模式,來推動台灣民族向國際社會宣示:咱有權利建立自己的國家,擁有台灣國籍和台灣主權。

誠懇邀請所有在地關心台灣前途的人士撥工來參加。

聯絡人:陳紹廷 (Tel: 02-2389-0863; Email: TaiwanNC (at) gmail.com)

Here is an interesting analysis of how the American media fawns over and covers up for Obama. The interesting part is understanding why it does it. There probably are some parallels with the media in Taiwan and the KMT.

-------

YOUR GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THE MEDIA FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS

- John Nolte

Excerpts: "In other words, this time it's personal with the media, and should Obama fail or be rejected in any way, everything the media sees in itself and believes will have failed and been rejected.

To ensure this doesn't happen, from day one, the media's become a vital part of the Obama campaign and administration. They've propped Obama up, protected him, lied for him, and attempted to marginalize any threat to his power or electoral success. Yes, it's been and will remain trench warfare, but there's a much bigger goal the media has in mind that will help those of us in the trenches better understand exactly what it is we're up against.

Put simply, we have to get our minds around the fact that the media's over-arching goal is and always has been "History." For the media to affirm everything about itself, Obama must be remembered as One Of History's Great Presidents. Everything the media's done since Obama climbed onto the national stage has been geared towards exactly that."
...

"But the worst part is that the media created a New Normal so that chronically high unemployment, anemic economic growth, an explosion in poverty, a wasted billion dollar stimulus, green energy cronyism, crushing deficits, and an explosion of social welfare spending could be defined as successful."

Read more...

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Lesson to Learn from U.S. elections

The following is a lesson to learn from the recent U.S. elections: Even in a bad economy, it will be very difficult for a pro-Taiwan party to overcome: 1. voter fraud, 2. brainwashed voting blocks, 3. a tight control of the media, 4. illegal foreign money, and 5. a patronage where tax dollars were used to buy political loyalty.

Scandals can be covered up until after an election. Major news stories can be buried. People can be blackmailed or bought off. Characters of opponents can be assassinated. Police can be illegally used to investigate opponents. Political allies will avoid prosecution for crimes. Political opponents can be prosecuted on trumped up charges. Voters can be intimidated at the polls to vote certain ways. People often will embrace a hear-no-evil, see-no-evil, speak-no-evil mindset towards their candidate and party. A political party and sitting president can cultivate a personality cult that grows into messianic proportions.

Chicago mafia style politics parallels KMT mafia style politics.

Monday, October 29, 2012

False Historical Narratives Perpetuated in Academic and Popular Circles

Yet another of a long slew of books and academic works has gotten things completely wrong. In this case, the title itself spreads a historically inaccurate myth. China's Last Empire by William T. Rowe actually should be titled, The Manchu's First and Last Empire. This is one of the reasons the Chinese overthrew their Manchurian overlords. This is why the Japanese felt justified in setting up a puppet kingdom with the Manchu emperor in Manchuria when the Japanese invaded.

If Rowe had wanted to write a book on China's Last Empire, he should have written it on the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty did have an impact on Taiwan. It's corrupt and brutal monetary, trade and agricultural policies towards its subjects in Fujian were one of the reasons the Fujianese took to smuggling and piracy, spreading out all over southeast Asia, even trading in Manila. When the Ming Empire fell, the power vacuum was filled by the ruler of a trade empire centered initially in Amoy (Xiamen) who eventually expelled the Dutch from Taiwan and set up Taiwan's first kingdom on the west coast centered in Tainan. Had this king, more commonly known as Koxinga, not died soon after his conquest of Dutch territory in Taiwan, he might have been able to extend his kingdom all of the way to the Philippines. World history would have looked quite different indeed. Taiwan and the Philippines might to this day be united under a kingdom that speaks Hokkien.

Perhaps William T. Rowe's choice of a book title was out of ignorance of history, or simply mercenary -- since the world is more likely to buy a book on "China" than on the "Manchurian Empire."

A pragmatic proposal -- the best China could hope for

"Blood is thicker than water," was a saying bandied about to excuse the R.O.C. government-in-exile's seizure and occupation Taiwan which happened to have citizens who could claim in part ancestors who had immigrated from China. Ironically, a new proposal to break the relational impasse between China and Taiwan focuses on this ethnic connection in terms of "brotherhood" -- China to be the big brother and Taiwan the little brother. It is not unification as China would seek. But at the same time, it is also not complete disconnect as many in Taiwan who have suffered under the Chinese dictatorship of Chiang Kai-shek would wish.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Daioyutai's, A Clear Case of the Absurdity of China's Claims

This video has a similar point regarding Tibet to the argument below. The only difference is that China does control Tibet, but not Okinawa or the Senkakus. The fact that the Manchurian Empire conquered China and also may have had some influence on other territories does not give China the right to claim those other territories. The Mongolian Empire also conquered China at one point in history. Does China have the right to then claim parts of Russia, Mongolia, Central Asia and even parts of the Middle East because the Mongolian Empire also conquered those territories?

Why doesn't China claim all of Japan, for Japan at one point in history conquered most of China?

With that logic, why shouldn't Poland claim France because at one time Poland was conquered by Germany which also conquered France. And Poland can play the other end. Why shouldn't Poland claim all of Russia all the way to Siberia because at one time Russia conquered Poland.

Well, speaking of influence, America can prove that many dictators of other countries have studied in American Universities. So why doesn't America claim those countries?

Furthermore, for China to claim that it has records Okinawa, (formerly the kingdom of Ryukyu), formerly sent tribute to China's Ming Dynasty, does not give China a claim on the land. China receiving "tribute" was actually often the only way other nations could officially trade with China during different periods in China's history. The other nation would bring "tribute" and then the Emperor would in turn give "gifts" to that nation's envoys. As Charles C. Mann ably explains in his book 1493, this was what constituted for trade with China.

Certainly, at certain times in history, Chinese emperors defeated kings of other nations in battles and exacted tribute for a time, but even in these cases, China did not seek to annex these nations, but decided it was easier simply to exact some kind of tribute. Such history does not give present-day China any right to claim these territories.

======
Article detailing some of the history of the Senkakus
======

With regard to Taiwan: The RESOUNDING undeniable conclusion is that just because the Manchurian Empire maintained marginal control over western Taiwan at one point in Taiwan's history does not give the current government of China any claim whatsoever on Taiwan.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Taiwan Visa-Free ; China Not Visa-Free

Finally, following American laws, the U.S. starts treating Taiwan distinct from China.

Meanwhile China casts about for a way to make sense of their exclusion from the visa free program. If they would start calling themselves "China" instead of calling themselves "mainland," the reason would be self-evident:

Friday, October 5, 2012

Romney, Obama and Taiwan

Now that Romney has been viewed by most as the clear winner in the U.S. Presidential debate, many think he might win and wonder what kind of president he would be. It goes without saying that a U.S. president's foreign policy will affect Taiwan. Linked here is an article analyzing Romney's potential team of foreign policy advisors.

Meanwhile, Taiwan is getting the attention of some American press over how some of Taiwan's press have portrayed the presidential debate:

Sunday, September 2, 2012

FROG IN THE KETTLE; is the frog beginning to become concerned about getting out of the pot?

The youth do really seem concerned about freedom and democracy. It is a good sign that the KMT's gradually rolling back freedoms and handing Taiwan over to China will not go unopposed in Taiwan.

Check in with Michael Turton regarding the WantWant protests.

Letters from Taiwan has a good account in pictures.

Far Eastern Sweet Potato presents analysis.

67 Years ago today, Japan unconditionally surrenders to the Allies on board the USS Missouri moored in Tokyo Bay. After Japan surrendered, they gave up their claim on Taiwan in perpetuity in the Treaty of San Francisco but did not designate a recipient. By international law Taiwan's status should have been decided by self-determination. Instead it was taken over by an alien dictatorship of exiles, the Taiwanese peoples and languages were suppressed, and all forced be speak Mandarin and call themselves "Chinese" in order to embrace a fiction held forth by the dictatorship before the world.
Surrender of Japan, Tokyo Bay, 2 September 1945. Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, USN, signs the Instrument of Surrender as United States Representative, on board USS Missouri (BB-63), 2 September 1945. Standing directly behind him are (left-to-right): General of the Army Douglas MacArthur; Admiral William F. Halsey, USN, and Rear Admiral Forrest Sherman, USN. Many of the other officers present are identified in 80-G-701293 (Complete Caption)". Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives, 80-G-701293. Src: Naval Historical Center

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

April 20th Lecture on Democratizing Taiwan




Democratizing Taiwan Presentation by and discussion with the author: Prof. J. Bruce Jacobs
(h.t. to Jerome Keating)


Note: It is preposterous that this lecture is included under the umbrella of the French Centre for Research on Contemporary China. Taiwan IS NOT part of contemporary China! However the lecture itself should be interesting.


20 April (Friday) 14:30
B202 RCHSS Academia Sinica


Taiwan—together with India, Japan and South Korea—is one of only four consolidated Asian democracies. Democratizing Taiwan provides the most comprehensive analysis of Taiwan's peaceful democratization including its past violent authoritarian experiences, leadership both within and outside government, popular protest and elections, and constitutional interpretation and amendments. Using extensive field research including the conduct of many interviews with government and party leaders, journalists, academics and a wide variety of citizens over many years as well as substantial research into documents, newspapers and academic research, Professor Jacobs provides many new insights into Taiwan's democratization. He also analyses areas in which Taiwan continues to face difficulties.

J. Bruce Jacobs is Professor of Asian Languages and Studies at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He received his PhD from Columbia University in 1975. Professor Jacobs has published numerous works on Taiwan and China over the past forty years.


The seminar will be held in English. The session will be chaired by Dr Paul JOBIN, Director of CEFC Taipei.


Contact: cefc@gate.sinica.edu.tw
French Centre for Research on Contemporary China - Taipei Office
Centre d’Etudes Français sur la Chine contemporaine (CEFC) - Antenne de Taipei
http://www.cefc.com.hk/taipei
Tel : (886-2) 2789-0873 - Fax : (886-2) 2789-0874

Why did Ma legalize prostitution -- to expand opportunities for his cronies to make money? The following lecture will look at the law's effects.

(h.t. to Jerome Keating)

April 15th

Center for Public Theology Event:
Tera van Twillert, head of the Pearl Family Garden (珍珠家園) Women's Center, to speak on the social welfare and care of sex workers in Taipei post-legalization.

In November 2011, the Ma government introduced changes to the Social Order and Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法) making prostitution legal in Taiwan. Now 5 months later, what is the situation on the street?

In the debates leading up to the change, those for legalization as well as those against were equally critical of the proposed legislation. A major concern was that the Ma government was allowing for an expansion of the sex trade, without offering an adequate welfare framework that would care for the rights of the women involved. In this case, the responsibility of offering education and welfare for sex workers, and fighting exploitation and human trafficking would continue to fall back on the NGOs and churches already struggling with this burden.

In this first half-year following the legalization of prostitution, has the situation changed for sex workers and the organizations that care for them?

Further details can be found here.

Speaker:
Tera van Twillert is a long-term OMF mission worker, and team leader of the Pearl Family Garden (珍珠家園) women's center in Wan Hwa (萬華), a church-based welfare group that has a long history of supporting women involved in the sex trade. She will present a lecture on the current problems facing sex workers and the programs that church-based groups are running in order to address those problems. The presentation will be followed by an open Q&A session.

Event: The Work of the Gospel among Sex Workers in Taiwan
Speaker: Tera van Twillert, Pearl Family Garden (珍珠家園)
Date: 15 April, 2012
Time: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Location: Large Conference Room – Center for the Study of Christian Thought
Taiwan Theological College and Seminary
20, Lane 2, Sec. 2 YangDe Blvd
Shilin Taipei 111

Note: This event will be held in Mandarin.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

See how Chinese regimes systematically destroy other cultures and nations



Everyone in Taiwan should watch the movie, Tibet in Song, to see an example of how the brutal Chinese regime in China would seek to eliminate Taiwan's identity if it were to get control of Taiwan. Also, this movie serves as a good reminder of how the Chinese Nationalist Party regime in Taiwan has attempted to obliterate Austronesian culture in Taiwan.

Note how beautiful, rich, and deep the Tibetan folk song and dance is compared to the shallow, trashy Chinese Communist music that was imposed on the Tibetans in an attempt to replace their music. Authoritarian communist regimes have no regard for beauty, but seek to rapaciously use and distort any cultural element for propaganda.

This documentary, Tibet in Song, was filmed by Ngawang Choephel, a former political prisoner. In addition to assessing cultural degradation in Tibet, it captures the bald-faced schemes of China's government to destroy Tibetan identity and create a fictional Tibetan identity as a gateway to total replacement with the worst of Chinese Communist culture.

P.S. You can get this movie from Netflix.



Meanwhile in recent news, China has detained hundreds of Tibetans, who simply went to India to get training from the Dalai Lama.



If you are in the San Diego area, you might get a chance to see the Dalai Lama in April.

University of San Diego OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The time has finally arrived. Beginning Monday, February 20 at 10 a.m., USD students, faculty and staff with a valid USD ID card will be able to request tickets for the Dalai Lama’s much anticipated talk, “Cultivating Peace and Justice.” The talk will be held at the Jenny Craig Pavilion (JCP) on Wednesday, April 18 at 1:30 p.m.

If you have a UCSD student ID, you'll be first in line. Go to www.sandiego.edu/dalailama/tickets to request tickets. Students can request one (1) ticket for $10. Faculty and staff will be permitted to request up to two (2) tickets for $25/each. Once you have submitted your ticket request and received a confirmation email, please proceed to the Jenny Craig Pavilion before 4 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21 to purchase your ticket(s). Please bring your valid USD ID card, confirmation email and cash or credit card for payment. No Campus Cash will be accepted.

If you are a member of the public, you might have a chance to get any remaining tickets: All unclaimed tickets will be sold during the public ticket sale beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, February 22. Tickets will also be sold at the JCP Ticket Booth beginning at 11 a.m. on Monday, February 20.

Should you have any questions, please contact news@sandiego.edu.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Vote for Taiwan's Freedom and Democracy



.NO MORE MA. Vote to get rid of the corrupt, anti-Taiwan KMT.


Keep China's brutal dictatorship forever out of Taiwan.