We firmly hold that Taiwan's future must be decided by people of Taiwan.Feiren -- too busy to blog -- pointed out to me that this language subsumes ROC and Taiwan in a way that many Taiwanese have become used to seeing and is accepted by them. This move, he noted, is a page out of LTH's book: borrowing DPP ideas but subtly altering the language. He further observed that the CW is that sovereignty issues are allegedly having less impact because everyone is disgusted with Chen Shui-bian -- but in reality, it is because the KMT is becoming better at defusing them. Nice observations, man.
Defend the Republic of China's sovereignty and firmly oppose the Anti-Secession Law.
The Republic of China is a sovereign and independent country nation.
The people of Taiwan have concretely realized democratic government and are masters of their own fate.
We hereby declare that Taiwan's future and development must be ratified and determined by the people of Taiwan themselves.
If you were Beijing, would you growl at Ma to make him look even more native? In a world where the KMT and Beijing are coordinating policy, what do you think they will do?
A-gu has a great followup to this post: with an interview with Chen pointing out that the DPP has made the KMT 'greener.'
UPDATE: A a brutal Chinese crackdown in Tibet as the elections in Taiwan approach. Peking Duck collects some of the news reports. ADDENDA: People have asked me to reword this for clarity. So I did.
[Taiwan]
What is lacking in this position is (1) insisting on a referendum as the mechanism for decising Taiwan's future and (2) any consistancy. It was not that long ago at all that Ma was saying Taiwan's future should be decided by the people on both sides of the strait
ReplyDeleteTrue. But I think the people of Taiwan will not accept anything less than a referendum. It's completely inconsistent with Ma's earlier opinions. BTW, do you have a link for Ma on your second point? It would be great to document this.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wretch.cc/blog/mayorkiaoki&article_id=20261060
ReplyDeleteSee also 一國兩區
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/trad/hi/newsid_4120000/newsid_4126900/4126936.stm
http://ido.3mt.com.cn/pc/200508/20050806120929.shtm
Interesting stuff - but not really a new development for Ma. He's been saying things like this again and again and again for over 2 years now.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that doesn't necessarily mean that he either means it or won't say something completely contradictory the next day (as is the right of any Taiwanese politician).
If you were Beijing, would you growl at Ma to make him look even more native? In a world where the KMT and Beijing are coordinating policy, what do you think they will do?
Ignore it completely is my prediction. That way Ma can both have his cake ('standing up for Taiwanese self-determination') and eat it ('not provoking China'). It's a neat trick - although a lot easier to do if you're not in power. Be interesting to see how it plays out when/if Ma wins ...
My 2c: Ma will give into China in all of the important areas (sovereignty) but will do so in a way that is technically not giving up sovereignty (we are the only China, there is no other) which will allow him to play himself up to the crowds at home. The rest of the world will see this as giving in and the ROC/Taiwan's sovereignty will be seriously hurt. This is the problem with the 1992 consensus. Although it doesnt really give up sovereignty in itself, it frames Taiwan's status in a way that the rest of the world will not understand or identify with. So it will allow him to both give up sovereignty and keep it. The problem is that what the rest of the world thinks is important.
ReplyDeleteMa will tell locals that he believes in ROC or Taiwan, and they will believe because most Taiwanese are insular and dont see this for what it is.
Yes, what I say sounds incredibly audacieux because I am not Taiwanese. It opens me to the accusation that I am foreign and how can I speak for the Taiwanese myself. However, it is true.
Ma will try to have his cake and eat it too, and most people will not be aware of the ploy because of the absolute support of the legislature. The nefarious effects will only be felt in the future, after he leaves office.
Wait...you're celebrating a DPP arousal because protests in Tibet are getting violent?
ReplyDeleteYou know, when I wrote that, I knew someone would accuse me of "celebrating."
ReplyDeleteNot celebrating. Merely noting how useful it is for us. And for the Tibetans. Nothing has fucked Tibet worse than the Dalai Lama's commitment to non-violence. It's not like nobody is getting killed in Tibet -- and so far, because those deaths occurred with no framework to give them meaning and purpose, they were every one of them wasted deaths. Even Gandhi saw the limits of his philosophy when he remarked that it wouldn't have worked against the Nazis.
Michael
ReplyDeleteMa will try to have his cake and eat it too, and most people will not be aware of the ploy because of the absolute support of the legislature. The nefarious effects will only be felt in the future, after he leaves office.
Yes, I agree.
Dalai Lama's commitment to non-violence
ReplyDeleteYou do know according to the CIA, Tibetans attacked Chinese first in 1956...although, the report say it was Dalai Lama's brother. Not arguing who is right or wrong but I am just pointing out.
www.michaelparenti.org/Tibet.html
As for Ma, just like former president Lee recently said, Ma is really pro-America not pro-China.
Ghandi to the British people regarding a potential Nazi occupation of the isles:
ReplyDelete"I would like you to lay down the arms you have as being useless for saving you or humanity. You will invite Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini to take what they want of the countries you call your possessions.... If these gentlemen choose to occupy your homes, you will vacate them. If they do not give you free passage out, you will allow yourselves, man, woman, and child, to be slaughtered, but you will refuse to owe allegiance to them."
Ghandi to the Jews concerning the Holocaust:
"The Jews should have offered themselves to the butcher's knife. They should have thrown themselves into the sea from cliffs."
It makes feel like the KMT is such a flip flop and opportunistic party merely saying what the voters want to hear. Just remember that shortly after the Anti-Succession Law was passed, which party went to shook hands with CCP, giving a tacit consent to the endorse the legitimacy of the Law. Which was the party that mobilized people to the streets to demonstrate against this law legalizing invasion? I hope that the voters had already vented out their discontent with the DPP in the legislative election, and choose the DPP for president to safeguard their real happiness.
ReplyDeleteReally? But I heard....I must have heard wrong.
ReplyDeleteTrue, if you have nothing positive to say, stop speaking. If you can't make positive contributions to the future.....
Michael, I think you might consider rewording your update. Just cause the current wording DOES look like you are glad about the crackdown and not what I know you mean, like:
ReplyDelete1) worldwide attention is being devoted to a humanitarian issue, the self-determination of Tibet
2) that the crackdown, in its concentration of protest and violence, has exposed what has been happening silently and steadily: the beating, jailing, and yes, killing of Tibetans for political reasons.
Yeah, but your current update wording, if I didn't know your blog, I would say you were being a cold-hearted ass.
Speaking about ads, did anyone else notice in the KMT Taiwan/bird logo, it seems like the bird is flying off to China.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, on the DPP ad, they have a logo with a bunch of small figures holding hands in different colors. If you notice closely, the one that represents the military they choose to make this one yellow.