Caotun (Tsaotun), Nantou had always been a Kuomintang (KMT) stronghold. It is premier Wu Den-yih's hometown and had always voted pan-blue in past elections. The KMT candidate received 60.6% of the vote in the last magisterial election in 2009. Later, in the Nantou County magisterial election, the two pan-blue candidates also garnered over 60%.
The KMT member who won the magisterial race in 2009 was charged bribery and had his election victory invalidated. Almost 35,000 voters took part in the by-election, and DPP candidate Hung Kuo-hao won by just 19 votes. 19 votes might not seem like a lot, but considering the DPP has never won an election in Caotun, this is a huge victory.
As DPP spokesperson Cheng Wen-tsan said, the outcome suggested the grassroot support for the DPP was continuing to grow. It could also illustrate the fact that voters are dissatisfied with the KMT administration in not only Caotun but also the country as a whole.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
ROC–Taiwan relations decoded
The relations between the Republic of China (ROC) and Taiwan may be the most complicated in the region. While president Ma and his supporters tend to believe that Taiwan is a part of a China called the ROC, it could be argued that more people, if not the majority, support the concept that the ROC is simply a part of Taiwanese history.
The Kuomintang brought the ROC government from the mainland in 1945. Then in 1949 the capital of the ROC relocated from Nanking to Taipei. For many pan-blue supporters, this seems to be the beginning of Taiwanese history. They probably believe that Taiwan, before the arrival of the Kuomintang government, was a barbaric island. Kuomintang brought order and democracy. Kuomintang brought wealth and modernity.
False. The ROC was not the first political settlement in Taiwan. Nor was it the start of Taiwanese history.
ROC is only part of Taiwan's 400-year history
When the Dutch ruled Taiwan, which was called Formosa at the time, they encountered aborigines who were believed to have established a supra-tribal regime now called the Kingdom of Middag by historians. The kingdom survived the rulings of not only the European colonists but also the Ming kingdom of Tungning led by Koxinga. The ROC was not the first political settlement in Taiwan, not even close.
The ROC entered much later in the history of Taiwan, after Qing rule, a short-lived 1895 Republic of Formosa, and Japanese occupation. What's interesting is that in the both the Qing and Japanese era, Taiwan was thought to be a colony of sorts by the Chinese and the Japanese. Under Qing rule, Taiwan was classified as "Huawaizhidi," a term used to describe barbarian territories outside the Han cultural sphere.
By the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Taiwan was ceded to Japan. Japan sought to turn the island into a "model colony" and much effort was made to improve the economy, industry, and public works. In both eras, the Taiwanese pushed for self-determination and rebelled numerous times.
The ROC administration was marked by corruption and lack of discipline. It did not bring democracy to Taiwan. Taiwan did not have a democratic government until the Tangwai movement of the 1970s. And no, the great Ma Ying-jeou was not part of the Tangwai movement.
Taiwan's relations with the ROC
So now, it should be clear that Taiwan's existence is not dependent on the existence of the ROC. However, without Taiwan, the Kuomintang regime would never have been able to survive the Chinese Civil War.
Different people have different interpretations of the relations between the ROC and Taiwan. The DPP has a clear position, as pointed out in its 1999 Resolution on Taiwan's Future, that Taiwan is an independent country that calls itself the Republic of China officially. This description, to many, is accurate because Taiwan has occupied the majority of the ROC's 100-year history.
Still to others, who believe that the ROC is the true China and that the People's Republic (PRC) is illegitimate, Taiwan is a province of China. But isn't it reasonably evident that those who support this point of view have a skewed perception of reality?
UPDATE: A recent editorial discusses the role of Taiwan's history in Taiwanese politics.
The Kuomintang brought the ROC government from the mainland in 1945. Then in 1949 the capital of the ROC relocated from Nanking to Taipei. For many pan-blue supporters, this seems to be the beginning of Taiwanese history. They probably believe that Taiwan, before the arrival of the Kuomintang government, was a barbaric island. Kuomintang brought order and democracy. Kuomintang brought wealth and modernity.
False. The ROC was not the first political settlement in Taiwan. Nor was it the start of Taiwanese history.
ROC is only part of Taiwan's 400-year history
When the Dutch ruled Taiwan, which was called Formosa at the time, they encountered aborigines who were believed to have established a supra-tribal regime now called the Kingdom of Middag by historians. The kingdom survived the rulings of not only the European colonists but also the Ming kingdom of Tungning led by Koxinga. The ROC was not the first political settlement in Taiwan, not even close.
The ROC entered much later in the history of Taiwan, after Qing rule, a short-lived 1895 Republic of Formosa, and Japanese occupation. What's interesting is that in the both the Qing and Japanese era, Taiwan was thought to be a colony of sorts by the Chinese and the Japanese. Under Qing rule, Taiwan was classified as "Huawaizhidi," a term used to describe barbarian territories outside the Han cultural sphere.
By the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Taiwan was ceded to Japan. Japan sought to turn the island into a "model colony" and much effort was made to improve the economy, industry, and public works. In both eras, the Taiwanese pushed for self-determination and rebelled numerous times.
The ROC administration was marked by corruption and lack of discipline. It did not bring democracy to Taiwan. Taiwan did not have a democratic government until the Tangwai movement of the 1970s. And no, the great Ma Ying-jeou was not part of the Tangwai movement.
Taiwan's relations with the ROC
So now, it should be clear that Taiwan's existence is not dependent on the existence of the ROC. However, without Taiwan, the Kuomintang regime would never have been able to survive the Chinese Civil War.
Different people have different interpretations of the relations between the ROC and Taiwan. The DPP has a clear position, as pointed out in its 1999 Resolution on Taiwan's Future, that Taiwan is an independent country that calls itself the Republic of China officially. This description, to many, is accurate because Taiwan has occupied the majority of the ROC's 100-year history.
Still to others, who believe that the ROC is the true China and that the People's Republic (PRC) is illegitimate, Taiwan is a province of China. But isn't it reasonably evident that those who support this point of view have a skewed perception of reality?
UPDATE: A recent editorial discusses the role of Taiwan's history in Taiwanese politics.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Chauvinism and racism in Taiwan?
The pan-blue camp has been accusing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of being "racist" for years. In a recent article written by the author of Free Taiwan, "an independent news blog," the same old points are used to attack the pro-independence party. With graphic arts that illustrate the author's point, the argument that the DPP is an inferior party that shouldn't be trusted seems convincing. However, with a closer look and analysis, the article contradicts itself in several aspects.
First, the very first claim of the article is that the DPP does not stand for democracy and freedom because of its "Hoklo chauvinism and racism." Very well, let's see what facts are used to back up this claim... Oh wait, none! The article continues its accusations without ever mentioning how the DPP is chauvinistic and/or racist again!
The rest of the article focuses on how the DPP left out Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, and other minor islands on its party flag. Ironically, Kinmen and Matsu are part of the Fujian Province in both ROC and PRC jurisdictions. The Hoklo people, sometimes called the Hokkiens, are known for their connection to Fujian. Leaving out Kinmen and Matsu does not seem to be something Hoklo chauvinists would do. If anything, supporters of the Hoklo culture would want to glorify the importance of Fujian. So where is the evidence that the DPP is chauvinist and racist?
The article even claims that the Kinmen and Matsu will "be given to the communists for nothing but Hoklo racism." What? What's fascinating and stupefying is that this blog calls itself Free Taiwan, and not "Free Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu."
First, the very first claim of the article is that the DPP does not stand for democracy and freedom because of its "Hoklo chauvinism and racism." Very well, let's see what facts are used to back up this claim... Oh wait, none! The article continues its accusations without ever mentioning how the DPP is chauvinistic and/or racist again!
The rest of the article focuses on how the DPP left out Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, and other minor islands on its party flag. Ironically, Kinmen and Matsu are part of the Fujian Province in both ROC and PRC jurisdictions. The Hoklo people, sometimes called the Hokkiens, are known for their connection to Fujian. Leaving out Kinmen and Matsu does not seem to be something Hoklo chauvinists would do. If anything, supporters of the Hoklo culture would want to glorify the importance of Fujian. So where is the evidence that the DPP is chauvinist and racist?
The article even claims that the Kinmen and Matsu will "be given to the communists for nothing but Hoklo racism." What? What's fascinating and stupefying is that this blog calls itself Free Taiwan, and not "Free Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu."
 |
| The Kuomintang flag displays a symbol that represents the Sun. So let's just assume that the KMT will eventually give up Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu and colonize the Sun instead. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)