Taiwanese stick it to The Man

SHAWN CHENG/YH

By George Lai

Last week, while I was visiting my home in Taiwan, my countrymen demonstrated their desire to end an era. This era was hardly one to preserve: it included 40 years of martial law, the brutal suppression of scholars and potential dissidents, and the bloody massacres of thousands of indigenous Taiwanese who strove for political freedom and representation in their own homeland. Taiwan was overdue for a change; it was time to end the reign of authoritarian rule of the Nationalist party of the Kuomintang (KMT).

After the dust settled, the native Taiwanese who make up about 85 percent of the island's population had voted for an end to the corrupt KMT rule on Sat., Mar. 18. In doing so, they voted for the leader who best represents Taiwan, Democratic Progressive Party member Chen Shui-bian.

The former mayor of Taipei had to fight numerous political and personal combats with the KMT that included his own imprisonment for speaking out against the party and the supposed "accident" that saw a truck run over Chen's wife three times, paralyzing her from the chest down. Chen has managed to beat the odds and establish a lasting legacy in Taiwan political history.

The legacy of the KMT, on the other hand, will live in infamy. The "228 Incident" on Feb. 28, 1947, that began the KMT's bloody massacre of tens of thousands of native Taiwanese, foreshadowed its policy of suppression. Martial law was imposed only two years later and has remained in effect for the subsequent 40 years. Indeed, though the KMT did perform economic miracles for Taiwan, it swallowed up a great amount of the island's riches to better itself. When it finally allowed the establishment of other political parties, it did not anticipate that the largest political opposition in the coming years would be composed mostly of dissidents it had wrongly imprisoned in the past. Enter the Democratic Progressive Party, which in contrast to the KMT is both of the Taiwanese and for the Taiwanese.

Despite Chen's edge, an enormous obstacle prevented the Taiwanese voters from voting overwhelmingly for him: the People's Republic of China (PRC) and its military threats against the Taiwanese should they vote for someone advocating independence. Yet despite the knowledge of the PRC's military threat, and with the memory of the draconian rule of the KMT, the Taiwanese voted. The close election race signified the reluctance of the Taiwanese to accept a party advocating independence. However, knowing the history of the KMT and the importance of self-determination, they were devoted to electing a President who would best represent them. China's threats were not enough to shatter the political ideals and spirit of the Taiwanese who had had to endure 40 bloody years of authoritarian rule.

So for now, the Taiwanese will enjoy a new era. The resignation of the current president, Lee Teng-hui, from his KMT post only further debilitates the once-powerful party. Even though the KMT has control of the government's funds, reforms will wipe it clean of corruption. Although the race was close, the other candidates have now agreed to aid the new president in the bettering of Taiwan and its government.

As for the PRC, the message should be clear: We the Taiwanese are not, nor do we desire to be, a part of Communist China. It would be wise for China to acknowledge the Taiwanese commitment to democracy, human rights, and freedom of speech. Communist China has never governed us, and the party that did is now ousted. Democratically.

George Lai is a sophomore in Timothy Dwight.

Back to Opinion...