China moving further away from democracy, threatening Taiwan

Beijing threatens freedom in Taiwan

By Nat Bellocchi 白樂崎

(Sept. 30, 2013 in Taipei Times)

During this year’s hot summer, a document was published that perhaps did not receive sufficient attention in Taiwan, where people were preoccupied with a number of domestic issues.

The publication of “Document No. 9” in Beijing was revealed in a New York Times article on Aug. 19 headlined “China takes aim at Western ideas,” by Chris Buckley.

Buckley describes how under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) Beijing is working hard to eradicate the “seven perils” that endanger the grip of the Chinese Communist Party on society. This campaign against “Western ideas” is actually an extension of Xi’s “Chinese dream.”

Glancing through the list of perils in the document, these perils seem to represent the core values of democracy, freedom and human rights as they are known in the US and Europe. They also represent the values that Taiwanese fought so hard to achieve in their transition to democracy in the 1980s and 1990s.

First on the list is “Western constitutional democracy.” Then follows the promotion of “universal values” of human rights, Western-inspired notions of media independence and civil society, pro-market “neo-

liberalism” and a few others.

So, it seems Xi’s government is determined to totally eradicate these values This runs contrary to the expectations of many that Xi would be a reformer: He seems to be moving China further away from democracy.

What does this mean for Taiwan and its cross-strait policies? What would this mean for Taiwan’s democracy, freedom and human rights if it moved closer to China? It is clear that closer relations with China means Taiwan will lose much of its freedom.

If Taiwan wants to preserve its “status quo” as a free, prosperous and democratic nation, it should keep a safe political, economic and social distance from this China. Yes, Taiwan can and should have contact, communication and consultations with Beijing, but this could be done from a position of strength.

In addition, these contacts should take place with a clear understanding of the direction in which China is heading. If the country is moving in the direction of a freer society, it would be good to stimulate cross-strait communication, but “Document No. 9” makes the ultimate goals of China’s rulers clear. Under these circumstances, Taiwan’s people and government should exercise caution in dealing with Beijing.

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China's products dangerous and detrimental to Taiwanese

Economic Integration/ Cooperation with China, though allowing a minority to get rich quick, has been detrimental to the majority of Taiwan's people, endangering them with unsafe Chinese products again and again.  What will happen when one day the KMT regime insists for the sake of its one China principle no longer requiring labels that distinguish what comes from China and what comes from Taiwan?

Relying on tips to confiscate dangerous products such as that of imported bell peppers is not enough.  What about all the products that came through without anyone tipping off the FDA?

July 19, 2013:

"Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tests for residual pesticide on Chinese bell peppers confiscated from shipments in mid-May confirm that they did not meet Taiwanese safety standards, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said.

It said its harbor branch in Chiayi County’s Putai Township (布袋) received an anonymous tip alleging that six import firms were trying to exploit a window in domestic bell pepper production by importing bell peppers grown in Shandong Province, China.

The tipster said the importers knew the Chinese peppers might fail pesticide residue tests and so they would place produce more likely to pass inspection at the front of the cargo containers."

The Putai branch formed a taskforce to verify the tip, and conducted raids at the Greater Kaohsiung harbor on June 10, 12, 17 and 18, the Greater Taichung harbor on June 10 and Keelung harbor on June 18.

Eight cargo crates of bell peppers — totaling 110,000kg — were confiscated in the raids, coast guard officials said.

“FDA officials accompanying us on the raids took samples of the produce on-site and forwarded the samples to their labs for testing,” the CGA officials said.

According to the FDA, a majority of the bell peppers confiscated during the raid had excessive traces of pesticide, with Pyriproxyfen, Fipronil, alpha endosulfan, Chlorfenapyr and Burpirimate residue exceeding safety pesticide residual amount by up to 10 times.

The test also turned up traces ...  As the shipment of contaminated bell peppers was confiscated before it entered customs, none of the produce entered the local distribution chain, coast guard officials said."

Read More: Taipei Times article

Get young Taiwanese to watch this

Time to Upgrade Taiwan's Status

If Denmark and Finland can upgrade the status of Palestine to have a full embassy, how much more so is it time for them to upgrade Taiwan's status!

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From Taipei Times 2013/5/6:

Denmark and Finland plan to upgrade the status of their respective Palestinian representative offices in Copenhagen and Helsinki to that of an embassy, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday. “It is with satisfaction that we announce our joint intention to work with the Palestinians to be able to upgrade the status of the Palestinian missions in Copenhagen and Helsinki,” the foreign ministers of Finland and Denmark, Villy Soevndal and Erkki Tuomioja, said in a joint statement.

The changes are expected to be implemented sometime this year, it said. The move would “not entail a formal bilateral recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state by Denmark and Finland,” the statement said. “Palestine is in a phase of state-building, and many challenges remain for [Palestinian] President [Mahmud] Abbas to handle before we can recognize Palestine formally as a state,” it said. “But it is important to keep focused on the aim of Palestine becoming a fully recognized state and as such claim its rightful place as part of the international community of states.”

[But how about Taiwan?]

In November last year, Denmark and Finland backed a resolution recognizing the Palestinians as a non-member observer state at the UN.

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Support the Taiwan Policy Act


Washington D C - April 25th 2013


FAPA Applauds Unanimous Passage of Taiwan Policy Act (TPA) in House Subcommittee



(Washington, D.C.   April 25th 2013) -- Today the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific of the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed HR419, aka the Taiwan Policy Act (TPA). 



The TPA was introduced on January 25, 2013 by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and co-chairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Gerald Connolly (D-VA), John Carter (R-TX) and Albio Sires (D-NJ) "to strengthen and clarify the commercial, cultural, and other relations between the people of the United States and the people of Taiwan." 



 It is a comprehensive bill that addresses over a dozen different aspects of the U.S.-Taiwan relationship, and updates the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) to reflect the new realities in this U.S.-Taiwan relationship. The TPA builds on the TRA (which has functioned effectively as the cornerstone of US-Taiwan relations over the past three decades). It does not amend or supersede the TRA. 



The TPA had been introduced during the previous 112th Congress, was passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee but did not make it to the floor by the time Congress adjourned for the year in the fall of 2012. 



 During the April 25 markup hearing, the following 8 Representatives attended the hearing: Steve Chabot (R-OH), Eni Faleomavaega (D-SA), Ileana Ros Lehtinen (R-FL), Mo Brooks (R-AL), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Doug Collins (R-GA), Scott Perry (R-PA), Ami Bera (D-CA). 



Chairman Chabot stated: "This bill strengthens the relations of our two nations. And I want to emphasize "Two Nations" for Taiwan is a democracy, an old friend and ally, and it deserves to be treated as such by the U.S. government." Rep. Faleomavaega said: "Reason why we pass this Act, is that we want to achieve that the leaders of Taiwan can continue to practice their democracy." 



Rep. Rohrabacher emphasized that Taiwan is a free and independent country. Rep. Perry: "I believe we should break through the barrier of conventional wisdom in our relations with Taiwan and work towards the normalization of relations." Rep. Ros-Lehtinen concluded: "Taiwan continues to be such an essential alley to the United States. This bill reiterates our support, and tells the Taiwanese people just how deeply we value that friendship." 



FAPA President Mark Kao, Ph.D. says: "This bill is one of the most significant pieces of legislation to address U.S.-Taiwan relations over the past decade and, if passed, will greatly bolster Taiwan's ability to preserve its freedom of action in the international community." 



 Dr. Kao concluded: "Next, the bill has to pass the House Foreign Affairs Committee, then the floor of the House to be followed by introduction in the Senate where the bill has to follow a similar path. We at FAPA will mobilize all our members all over the United States on the grassroots level to help ensure that this critically important bill becomes law at the earliest opportunity."

Article: The Madness of Ma: Slow-Motion State Violence in Taiwan and the Murder of Chen Shui-bian

From the Huffington Post, an article by Jack Healey, founder of Human Rights Action Center.

The Human Rights Action Center has been involved for seven months in a investigation into the incarceration conditions and medical care of former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian. We sent a longtime Asia researcher, Harreld Dinkins, and Hans Wahl, a researcher with considerable expertise on prison standards and the imperatives for prisoner medical care to Taiwan last year. What we discovered was that, while the President's material conditions of incarceration were close enough to international standards that an argument might be dismissed, that his medical care had been systematically denied or inadequate such that there were conditions that emerged that were previously non-existent and conditions that were made considerably worse and permanent. Indeed, consistent independent medical reporting suggests that Chen Shui-bian is likely to have a host of medical conditions that are permanent and will impact his quality of life and perhaps a considerably shorter lifespan.

With considerable attempts to work with all sides on this issue, we never made assertions about Chen's guilt nor innocence, for that should not impact an individual's human rights or basic rights. We had just gotten to a place of hope in fact. After a recent D.C. discussion with the savvy and charming former VP Annette Lu in D.C., we thought we were likely looking to a parole or pardon sometime soon. After all, Ma has no option to run for an additional term and an approval rating lingering near 11 percent. The good (and compassionate) money would seem to have been on trying to salvage something of the premise of "Thou Shalt Not Kill" that was an important part of Ma's Catholic upbringing. Such seems to no longer be a rule that Ma is leaning towards.

In a predawn transfer without any advance notice, Chen Shui-bian was recently transferred from a medical facility capable of dealing with and managing his multiple conditions and taken back to a prison with a rudimentary ability to deal with complex medical issues. This transfer was done after a ten-person panel of international human rights experts recently issued a report recommending that Chen be kept in a sufficient medical facility and/or sent home on medical parole or pardon. This transfer was done after our contacts on both the "Blue" (KMT) side of the ruling party and the "Green" (DPP) side of the opposition had begun to express optimism and even a willingness to forgive for the thought was that Chen would be allowed to live his life with adequate medical care and dignity.

Taiwan is at a strange crossroads. Ma Ying-jeou's government has been credibly accused of interfering with the judicial process and being motivated by revenge politics throughout this process. Still, in the past there have been moments of compassion shown to Chen during this period. No longer. Based on his medical conditions and the reports of our organization and credible human rights experts (and to be sure there have been some fringe characters on both sides of this debate as well), to transfer him back into a prison with merely a prison clinic at this point and to do so against the advice of the medical team that was caring for him, the Ma government has apparently chosen to take a former president convicted of nonviolent financial offenses and to kill him through systematic neglect. The outcome of this treatment to date has been exacerbated conditions and permanent disability.

What would a rational observer conclude from this other than the Ma government has decided to engage in a slow-motion form of murder?

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R. L. Dabney on the potential abuse of the public education system by the government

A pertinent description of the KMT (Chinese Nationalist Party) and whenever it is in power in Taiwan:

His one dominant thought is, how he may wrest the policy of the State, converting every object, commercial, industrial, military or judicial, to his partisan and pecuniary ends.

"Thus far the argument has proceeded on the supposition that the State will not intentionally pervert her educating power to corrupt ends.  A sorrowful experience teaches us that the supposition is never safe.  The modern "practical politician," like the mythical Harpies of Virgil, aims to grasp eveyrthing for his voracious appetite, and pollutes everything which he grasps.  His one dominant thought is, how he may wrest the policy of the State, converting every object, commercial, industrial, military or judicial, to his partisan and pecuniary ends.  Can we trust him to refrain from wresting this mighty but sacred educational function?  Let the intelligent student look around and observe for himself."  

* Dabney, R.L. The Practical Philosophy: Being The Philosophy of the Feelings, of the Will, and of the Conscience, with the Ascertainment of Particular Rights and Duties  (1897)  Republished (Harrisonburg: Sprinkle Publications, 1984).