Ma Ying-jeou
President of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
Today is June 4th. Hardly a more fitting day could be found to remember those who bravely sacrificed so much in the quest for democracy.
I was quite pleased recently to see that my alma mater-National Taiwan University-had published a revised edition of The Complete Works of Yin Hai-kuang. Mr. Yin was a pioneer in the struggle for democracy in Taiwan. His fierce criticism of the authoritarian rule of the 1960s got him placed under house arrest. Unable to freely pursue his academic interests, he died a frustrated man at the age of 50. But his writings lived on, and planted the seeds of democracy in Taiwan's society.
I came in contact as a young man with his writings, and was struck at how, while excoriating the powers-that-be, he also continually reflected self-critically on his own responsibilities as a "liberal intellectual." If the government of that time had listened to him, wouldn't Taiwan have avoided years of futility?
We are so very fortunate that the freedom and democracy called for in an earlier time by such people as Yin Hai-kuang, Lei Chen, and many other activists, have now been achieved. On numerous occasions over the past two years, I have deeply apologized on behalf of the government to Mr. Yin's widow, and to the family members of Mr. Lei.
Precisely because we have had these unfortunate episodes in our own past, we are more than willing as ethnic Chinese to share our experiences and remind the mainland Chinese authorities of the need to be accepting of dissidents, and to appreciate their value to society. When they are locked up and prevented from speaking, the true victims are not just the dissidents themselves. All of society suffers when mistaken policies go uncorrected. And the opportunity to hear a broader range of thought from members of the public is lost.
Mainland China's economy has been growing rapidly for more than 20 years now. Indeed, it surpassed Japan last year to become the second largest economy in the world. Mainland China has been an active participant in recent years in international affairs. By participating in peacekeeping operations and disaster rescue and relief, by establishing Confucius Institutes overseas, and by expanding its foreign investments, mainland China is clearly signaling its strong intention to act as a responsible member of the international community. But its spotty track record in the areas of democracy and human rights stands in stark contrast to its sparkling economic performance. The ongoing failure of the mainland authorities to redress the wrongs of the June 4th Incident, and the detention of such dissidents as Liu Xiaobo and Ai Weiwei on account of their public pronouncements, impede the mainland's integration into the international community, and make it difficult for the country to emerge as a leader on the international stage.
The cross-strait relationship has been developing stably for the past three years. Over a million people from Taiwan now live and work in the mainland, which also sees more than 5 million visitors from Taiwan each year. Given the deep bonds of kinship, history, and culture that exist across the Taiwan Strait, as well as the increasingly close contacts between the people on the two sides, it is incumbent upon us to remind the mainland authorities that economic reform must be accompanied by political reform. Taiwan's experience in transitioning from an authoritarian state to a democracy shows that reform, while not painless, is certainly no disaster. Rather, it is a new beginning. It brings stability and progress, and builds trust in the government.
As we look back upon the June 4th Incident, we urgently hope the mainland Chinese authorities will have the courage to undertake political reforms and promote the development of freedom, democracy, human rights, and rule of law. "The journey begins," as the saying goes, "with a single step." The first step toward political reform is treating dissidents with leniency, and appreciating their value to society. I call upon the mainland authorities to do just that by acting soon to release Liu Xiaobo, Ai Weiwei, and other dissidents. This would greatly enhance the mainland's international image. And more importantly, it would also help reduce the psychological distance between the people of the two sides. |
