Taiwan's 'Refuse-to-Lose' Crowd 台灣那些輸ꐠ…
※ [本文轉錄自 DPP 看板]
作者: basicnet (有FANS感謝天) 看板: DPP
標題: Taiwan's 'Refuse-to-Lose' Crowd 台灣那些輸不起的民眾
時間: Tue Nov 21 00:58:57 2006
Taiwan's 'Refuse-to-Lose' Crowd
By THERESE SHAHEEN
November 8, 2006
The roots of the current political turmoil in Taiwan lie not in the
allegations of corruption against Chen Shui-bian, his family, and his
friends. Rather, they lie in the huge changes that the Taiwanese president
has sought to introduce during his six years in office.
It's important to remember that Mr. Chen is the first president to come from
a party other than the Kuomintang (KMT), which ruled the island with an iron
grip for a half-century. Given that, it's unsurprising that his radical
reform agenda has faced consistent resistance from an established order
unaccustomed to defeat. Known to some Taiwan-watchers as the "refuse-to-lose"
crowd, this coalition of former KMT officials -- in conjunction with a
splinter group called the People's First Party -- has stymied much of the
president's agenda.
Take defense: While it took the President nearly until his second-term to
address the island's defense capabilities, he did introduce a $18 billion
defense supplemental budget in 2003 which was strongly supported by the Bush
administration. But the package has stalled in the opposition-dominated
legislature ever since.
Mr. Chen's attempts to reform Taiwan's outdated political structure have met
similar hurdles. Dating back to Chiang Kai-shek's defection from the mainland
after World War II, Taiwan's current political system consists of five --
often overlapping -- branches of government. But attempts to streamline this
into a structure better-suited to the present day have run into predictable
resistance from the KMT, whose supporters still dominate most branches of
government.
In such a climate, it's unsurprising that allegations of misuse of official
funds have been seized on with such glee by the refuse-to-lose crowd --
especially after last Friday's indictment on corruption charges of President
Chen's wife, Wu Shu-chen. Certainly, charges waged against any public figure
need to be investigated and due process followed. But it's also worth
remembering that the disputed expenditure comes from funds for unofficial
international activities deemed to be in Taiwan's national security interests.
With Beijing investing heavily in countries around the world with the
specific objective of isolating Taiwan, the island must be creative with its
diplomacy. Because of the discreet nature of these activities, the rules
governing these funds are vague and ambiguous. In the light of the current
controversy, the air of secrecy surrounding some of these funds could be
removed by insisting upon budgetary transparency and developing guidelines
governing their use.
President Chen has made missteps during his six years in office. Elected on a
mandate to accelerate the move toward sovereignty and national identity that
began under his predecessor, Lee Teng-hui, he may have mistaken popular
public support for Taiwan to maintain its own identity with a desire for
formal independence. His coyness on the issue has been a hallmark of his
administration, and the opposition-dominated press has been effective at
characterizing him as unnecessarily provocative toward Beijing. Even the Bush
administration felt it necessary to caution him on this matter.
The fact is, most of Taiwan's citizens don't want to be ruled by Beijing, nor
do they want to antagonize it. This creates a dilemma for Mr. Chen. While the
Taiwanese enjoy their de facto independence, they are increasingly
intimidated by China's growing economic and military might. The President's
periodic flirtations with formal independence make people nervous on both
sides of the Straits.
The turmoil in Taipei this week has little to do with the current
government's effectiveness, or even its alleged corruption. Instead, the
demonstrations and calls for Mr. Chen's resignation are significant for what
they say about Taiwan's relatively young democracy.
In taking to the streets, some Taiwanese are abandoning respect for due
process and the rule of law -- values that should lie at the heart of any
democracy. The heat and the intensity of the anti-Chen movement leaves a
sense of riveted frenzy, where the mob -- not process -- will rule. The
highest democratic aim ought to be to protect the voice of each individual
citizen, not to project the roar of the crowd, however righteous.
A strong, democratic Taiwan is not only best for the people of Taiwan, but
for the region and for the world. In this crucial period of its growth,
Taiwan's democracy deserves the support and encouragement of the
international community. But ultimately, it is up to the people of Taiwan to
decide whether they want their future to be determined through democratic
processes -- or by mobs taking to the streets.
Ms. Shaheen, chairman of the American Institute of Taiwan from 2002-04, is an
adjunct fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C.
--
※ 編輯: basicnet 來自: 61.59.245.208 (11/21 00:59)
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 61.59.245.208