Tibet go go go

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Beijing blocks media from Everest

AGENCIES, BEIJING, HONG KONG AND CANBERRA
Friday, Apr 25, 2008, Page 1
　

A person holds up a Chinese flag outside Parliament House in Canberra during the Olympic torch relay yesterday.


PHOTO: AFP

　

Beijing abruptly shut the door yesterday on most foreign media seeking to cover the Olympic torch’s ascent of Everest after journalists objected to last-minute changes to travel and reporting plans.

China plans to take a special high-altitude Olympic torch to the summit of the world’s tallest peak next month and had invited world media to cover the event as a triumphant symbol of Beijing’s hosting of the Olympics.

But last-minute Chinese changes to coverage arrangements called for a rapid and tightly controlled trip of about three days through riot-hit Tibet to the Mount Everest base camp.

Reporters objected, saying that ascending too quickly to the camp’s elevation of 5,150m could cause severe health problems.

After foreign media requested a more paced trip, Games organizers set a sudden morning payment deadline yesterday for air tickets to Lhasa.

The situation descended into farce when the Olympic official charged with collecting payment refused to accept fees from several international news agencies present.

The payments of some foreign media had been accepted earlier.

Meanwhile, a Chinese primary school teacher and a beautician have filed a suit against CNN in New York over remarks they say insulted the Chinese people and are seeking US$1.3 billion in compensation — US$1 per person in China, a Hong Kong newspaper said.

The case against the Atlanta-based cable channel, its parent company Turner Broadcasting and Jack Cafferty, the offending commentator, comes after 14 lawyers launched a similar suit in Beijing alleging that Cafferty’s remarks earlier this month violated the dignity and reputation of the Chinese people.

Cafferty said the US imported Chinese-made “junk with the lead paint on them and the poisoned pet food” and added: “They’re basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they’ve been for the last 50 years.”

CNN said Cafferty was expressing an opinion about the Chinese government.

In New York, beautician Liang Shubing and Beijing teacher Li Lilan said Cafferty’s words insulted all Chinese people and “intentionally caused mental harm” to the plaintiffs, the Ta Kung Pao newspaper reported yesterday.

China on Thursday reassured foreigners they were welcome at the Beijing Olympics in August and guaranteed their safety after a wave of anti-Western protests.

In related developments, in Canberra, a sea of red Chinese flags welcomed the Beijing Olympic torch relay yesterday, as thousands of Chinese supporters attempted to drown out emotional pro-Tibet protests.

Shortly after fireworks exploded in the pre-dawn darkness in celebration of the torch, raucous chanting between the two groups began.

Thousands of Chinese, mostly students, who had taken overnight buses to Canberra, turned out to support the relay.

Relations between Australian police and the torch’s blue-and-white tracksuit-clad Chinese escorts appeared strained.

Police on several occasions pulled one of the Chinese away from the torch, determined that the so-called flame attendants, who were described as thugs by a London Olympic official, would not have a security role at the event.

　

　

KMT furious over US presence at drill
　

‘INAPPROPRIATE’: The KMT caucus claimed that allowing US officials, including AIT Director Stephen Young, to observe the military exercise harmed ‘national dignity’
　

By Flora Wang and Ko Shu-ling
STAFF REPORTERS
Friday, Apr 25, 2008, Page 3

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday slammed the government for inviting American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Stephen Young to participate in the Presidential Office’s annual military drill that began on Tuesday.

KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) told a press conference that the government’s move was “very inappropriate” and that it had “harmed our national dignity” and violated the principle of “confidentiality.”

Wu’s remarks came in the wake of a report in the Chinese-language China Times yesterday that several US officials, including Young, had boarded an armored tank during the drill.

The annual exercise, code-named Yushan, simulates various crises. It began on President Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) order on Tuesday morning and will run through Sunday. President-elect Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has declined an invitation to attend.

The China Times report said that US officials were also allowed to enter the Yuanshan command center in Dazhi (大直), Taipei City, along with the president and Cabinet ministers.

The article quoted an anonymous source as saying that the US officials were able to “closely observe” almost all of the drill, not including a national security meeting convened by Chen.

It said that the US officials also boarded an armored tank to a command center in Taoyuan after a simulated scenario in which the Yuanshan command center came under attack.

“If there had been any spies from an enemy state or China [among the officials], there would have been very serious consequences,” Wu said.

When approached for comment, KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方), who also serves as the convener of the legislature’s Diplomacy and National Defense Committee, said Chen’s invitation was improper.

“This was not an ordinary drill,” Lin said. “After all, the Republic of China is an independent state. No matter how good our relations with other countries are, keeping a certain distance is necessary.”

The National Security Council downplayed the presence of Young at the drill, saying that his attendance met security requirements.

“We hope that people will stop speculating to prevent bilateral ties and our friendship from being affected,” the council said in a statement issued yesterday afternoon.

The statement said that the US had repeatedly expressed an interest in observing the drill ever since the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) launched the annual exercise in 2005.

Based on reciprocity and bilateral exchanges and cooperation, the council said they finally agreed to let the US observe this year’s drill as the military had done with last year’s Han Kuang military exercise, the statement said.

It said that US officials observing the Yushan military drill were accompanied by government officials throughout the process and were allowed to watch the drill within permitted areas.

The process was conducted in accordance with the code of observation, and US officials were denied access to emergency response meetings attended by Cabinet ministers, the statement said.

US observance of this year’s Yushan simulation exercise was another example of the development of military exchanges between Taiwan and the US, the statement said, adding that it contributed to the promotion of bilateral cooperation.

The China Times report also claimed that US participation in this year’s military exercise was a scheme hatched by the DPP administration to force president-elect Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to continue the drills, which the paper said were unlikely to survive under the new administration.

The report also said the US hoped to participate in the simulation exercises to know how to best evacuate US citizens in Taiwan in case of a conflict.

　

　

US, Taiwan polls unlikely to affect relations: expert
　

By Martin Williams
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Apr 25, 2008, Page 3

A US military affairs specialist said yesterday the results of the presidential elections in Taiwan and the US are unlikely to have a serious impact on Taiwan-US military relations.

Some in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and analysts have warned that the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) victory in last month’s Taiwan presidential election could harm Taiwan’s defense capability as the KMT attempts to remove barriers to cross-strait trade, investment and tourism and other, possibly more sensitive, obstacles to closer ties with China.

But Mark Stokes, director of US-based think tank The Project 2049 Institute and former country director for China and Taiwan in the Office of the Secretary of Defense in Washington, said he did not foresee “much of a change in defense relations” between Washington and Taipei.

Speaking to the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Taipei, Stokes said that neither the KMT’s victory in the poll last month nor the post-Bush administration — Republican or Democratic — is likely to alter the “remarkable degree of continuity” exhibited by Taiwan-US defense relations over the years.

Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain is generally seen as friendlier to Taiwan than his Democratic Party counterparts, though the US presidential campaign has seen Democratic senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton attack China on the campaign trail over issues such as the quality of Chinese exports and currency manipulation.

On military preparedness, Stokes said the US was better prepared than ever in the event it would have to intervene in a cross-strait conflict. For Taiwan’s part, Stokes said that controversy over the long-delayed and eventually reduced special arms procurement package had obscured extensive spending by the Taiwanese military on other items.

Similarly, Stokes said that Taiwan’s election campaign had obscured the reality that most pan-blue-camp and pan-green-camp politicians were a “lighter shade” of blue or green than appearances might suggest and that this would be a factor in future negotiations with China.

　

　

KMT lawmakers may sue Citizen Congress Watch
　

By Loa Iok-sin
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Apr 25, 2008, Page 3

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Chung Shao-ho (鍾紹和) and Chen Ken-te (陳根德) said they were considering suing Citizen Congress Watch (CCW) after the group released lawmakers’ attendance records and accused the two of being late to meetings.

“According to the Legislative Yuan’s own regulations, legislators are supposed to be in meetings from 9am to 6pm,” CCW executive director Ho Tsung-hsun (何宗勳) told a news conference at the group’s headquarters in Taipei yesterday. “But records show that the average general assembly meeting only lasts 5.9 hours, while committee meetings in February and March were on average 3.1 hours long.”

Aside from adjourning meetings early, delays are also a key factor behind the shorter meeting times, the group said.

“The Education and Culture Committee has the best record with only a 3.2-minute delay on average, while the Transportation Committee has the worst, with an average delay of 28 minutes,” Ho said.

The Sanitation and Environment Committee, as well as Social Welfare Committee, were the next worst offenders, with an average delay of 9.25 minutes, Ho said.

Chen and Chung, conveners of the Transportation Committee and the Sanitation and Environment Committee respectively, expressed their anger when approached by reporters for comment.

“It’s immoral to release information like this,” Chung said. “They’re just making false accusations against us without knowing how hard we work.”

Chung said he would work to put CCW on a list of “unwelcome” groups at the legislature. Chen, on the other hand, accused the group of giving out false information.

“They said that I was 114 minutes late to a [committee] meeting [that started at 9am] — it’s not true,” Chen said. “I was in a classified meeting at 9am sharp, that’s why they couldn’t find it in the records.”

Both lawmakers said they were considering filing lawsuits against CCW if the group did not apologize.

“Legislative transparency is a global trend and the doors of the legislature should be open to all people,” a CCW statement said in response later yesterday. “The threats to put CCW on the ‘unwelcome’ list … just shows that some lawmakers lack the common sense desired in a democracy.”

　

　

Nationalism is Beijing’s brainchild
　

By Paul Lin 林保華
Friday, Apr 25, 2008, Page 8

Chinese nationalism needs to get hysterical every once in a while. Recently it went off again over issues related to Tibet and the Beijing Olympics. The timing of when it vents is entirely decided by the Chinese Communist Party because in China any parades or assemblies must first receive its approval. The online tirades of the country’s angry youth are also controlled by the party.

The source of the most recent outbreak that has targeted CNN, Grace Wang (王千源) and Carrefour is Tibet. Chinese President Hu Jintao’s (胡錦濤) confidante and Tibetan party secretary Zhang Qingli (張慶黎) insulted the Dalai Lama, the widely respected spiritual leader of Tibet, saying he has the face of a man and the heart of a beast, or calling him a wolf in monk’s robes.

With this hostile attitude, we can conclude that Tibetans will most likely not be willing to submit. However, Beijing did not foresee that its trampling upon the universal values of liberty and human rights would incite such a strong international backlash, especially amongst individuals.

After Beijing expelled all foreign media from Tibet, CNN reported news that had not been fed it from China’s official channels. Consequently, China’s angry youth hurled all manners of insults at CNN. Thinking about just how many of these angry youth are actually able to watch CNN, one can see that this attack on CNN originated from the government. Afterwards, a host on CNN called Chinese officials a bunch of “goons” and “thugs.” The Chinese government insisted that this was an insult to all Chinese and the Foreign Ministry brought the matter up three times. CNN clarified that the remarks were referring to the government and apologized to the “people.”

Of course, with CNN specifying the target as “the government,” Beijing was even less willing to accept their explanation.

Wang is a Chinese student studying at Duke University in the US. During a demonstration attended by Tibetan and pro-China groups, she tried to persuade Chinese students to learn more about Tibet. For this she was castigated as a traitor and viciously attacked.

Angry youth threatened to destroy her and posted private information about her on the Internet. Her parents in Qingdao were harassed and had feces thrown on their doorstep and possessions stolen. Qingdao No. 2 Middle School, Wang’s alma mater, expelled her name from the school’s roll.

The FBI has been investigating this affair.

Because the Olympic torch was extinguished in Paris, some angry youth have claimed that a certain Carrefour board member supported the Dalai Lama and called for a boycott. The person in question denied the accusation, but it was of no use in blocking the tide of Chinese patriotic rage. On April 19, angry youth in six Chinese cities surrounded Carrefour stores. Incidents of property damage and looting were reported at the Hefei branch.

The same day, Chinese students abroad and overseas Chinese took to the streets in some Western cities to demonstrate their patriotism. In the sea of red Chinese flags, one could even see the occasional Republic of China flag!

The Chinese government is walking a tightrope between inflaming nationalistic passions and fearing that they may get out of control. If they do not apply the brakes immediately, these passions will most certainly affect the Olympic Games in August. Therefore, the official media tried to cool things down by urging citizens that “taking good care of your own affairs is the best way to love your country.”

Although they did not report on the blockade of Carrefour so as to keep it from expanding, they did continue to do so in English reports as a threat to Western countries. This is just like the phone conversation between US President George W. Bush and Hu in which the official Chinese media used the “one China” principle while the English version used “one China with each side having its own interpretation.”

This two-faced reporting is the tactic of gangsters that the Chinese government uses to deceive both the Chinese people and the international community.

On April 18, China sent former ambassador to France Zhao Jinjun (趙進軍) to meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Following that meeting, France said it would send a special emissary to China. The Chinese media loudly reported the news as France “taking the initiative” to resolve the crisis.

They even stated that the emissary apologized to Chinese torchbearer Jin Jing (金晶) as symbolic of France suing for peace from the “imperial court.” However, because Jin did not support the boycott of Carrefour, she was subsequently excoriated by angry youth as a traitor.

The international community should not show fear in the face of Chinese nationalistic threats, which would only further feed into their sense of superiority. This is the only way to force China to reform.

Paul Lin is a political commentator based in Taiwan.

　

Up Next

西藏濺血﹐中共五十年不變

----- Original Message -----
From: may yang (林保華)
To: aaa zhang weiguo
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 2:48 AM
Subject: 西藏濺血﹐中共五十年不變

西藏濺血﹐中共五十年不變 林保華
今年三月十日﹐是西藏抗暴四十九周年。這天﹐一場有幾百人參加的喇
嘛和平抗議行動﹐居然會演變成為國際性的重大事件﹐其抗爭規模超過了一
九八九年三月那場為胡錦濤奠定總書記之路的流血事件﹐也是一九八九年六
四屠殺以來中國在外交上的最大失敗。
北京奧運刺激藏人抗議
明年才是西藏抗暴五十周年﹐為何會提前一年爆發大規模抗爭呢﹖除了
中共的野蠻鎮壓以外﹐就是奧運會對藏人的刺激。中共一再聲稱政治不應介
入體育﹐但是中共把奧運火把的行進路線包括香港､澳門﹐甚至還企圖染指
台灣﹐就是要顯示“主權”的政治目的﹐這點也是“司馬昭之心﹐路人皆知
”。而火把要送到西藏邊境的珠穆朗瑪峰﹐自然也是這個目的。珠穆朗瑪峰
藏語是“聖母峰”之意﹐意味著聖潔､崇高﹐現在讓那些奧運俗人大張旗鼓
進入這個聖地﹐是對藏人宗教風俗文化的嚴重褻瀆﹐因此今年三月十日西藏
喇嘛會出來抗議﹐而且在藏人聚居的各個地區產生一連串的強烈反應。
中共對待這場抗議行動的鎮壓﹐手段不但如同十九年前的鄧小平､胡錦
濤﹐也與四十九年前的毛澤東一樣﹐真是五十年不變啊。這個不變﹐就是一
樣動用槍桿子與筆桿子兩個手段。槍桿子就是無情的鎮壓﹐筆桿子就是封鎖
資訊﹐由共產黨一家編造所有情節。
根據中共喉舌的報道﹐所謂的“騷亂”是三月十四日開始。但是即使是
親北京的香港“明報”﹐在三月十一日也報道﹕“昨天（十日）是達賴喇嘛
流亡印度四十九周年紀念日，首府拉薩發生示威事件。據當地消息稱，拉薩
昨日市面氣氛緊張，傍晚六時左右，有五名僧人在八角街高呼『西藏獨立』
的口號，並打出西藏『國旗』雪山獅子旗，隨後迅速被大批公安和保安逮捕
，場面混亂。”自由亞洲電台則報導，拉薩哲蚌寺的三百多名喇嘛，十日打
算遊行到市中心抗議，但在拉薩市西邊的公路檢查哨所遭到武警攔阻，有五
十到六十名喇嘛被捕；此外，當局還在拉薩拘捕十多名在市中心大昭寺前抗
議的藏人。
三一四以前發生了甚麼﹖
西藏作家唯色在自由亞洲電台做的的節目“西藏三月十四日之前發生了
什麼？”﹐引述自己博客在十日､十一日､十二､十三日的“日誌”﹐前兩
日各有五百與六百喇嘛等和平請願﹐不但被打､被抓﹐還用催淚彈對付﹐寺
院還停止供水﹐關閉周邊飯館，使得寺院僧眾生活陷入困境。十二日兩名僧
人割腕抗議﹐有的絕食抗議﹔十三日再有幾百人和平請願﹐只是這時增加了
普通聲援的民眾﹐他們再度遭到毆打。
衝突進一步激化﹐終於發生三月十四日的大規模流血事件。毛澤東自己
說過﹐有壓迫﹐就有反抗。反抗者手無寸鐵﹐中共當局只要出動幾千武警﹐
幾個人抓一個﹐就可以“平息”﹐為何必須動用暴力的流血鎮壓﹐甚至把正
規軍的坦克､裝甲車開進拉薩城裡﹖那不是借故大開殺戒﹐殺一儆百﹐借以
震懾藏人﹖而這不就是與藏人對奧運的態度有關﹖對被激怒的手無寸鐵民眾
來說﹐他們除了拿石塊丟擲﹐或者放火泄憤外﹐還能做甚麼﹖首先開槍的無
罪﹐反抗的卻被描繪成恐怖分子﹐這是中共典型的宣傳伎倆。其實﹐中共自
己才是國家恐怖主義﹐他們對付的全是平民﹐至於民眾的反抗﹐針對的是政
府﹐當然﹐有時難免波及平民。中共開始完全不承認殺人﹐圖片在網路被公
開後﹐才被迫承認﹐但是至今殺了多少人﹐還不肯交代。至於死傷的平民﹐
則全算到藏人頭上。但是只要稍有常識的人都知道﹐到底是石塊傷人､死人
多﹐還是官方的開槍﹖
共產黨的流氓政治還有兩個手段﹕一個是“把一切功勞歸於自己﹐把一
切錯誤歸於別人”﹔一個是倒打一耙。這次自然也不例外。總理溫家寶在“
兩會”的記者會上就宣稱是達賴喇嘛蓄謀､策劃的。為了證明這一點﹐後來
官方報道﹐三月二十八日，警方根據舉報，在格爾登寺查獲一批武器彈藥，
其中包括小口徑步槍十六支、各種火藥槍十四支、子彈四九八發等等。既然
是達賴喇嘛蓄謀策劃的﹐為何這些武器沒有拿出來用而白白挨打呢﹖可見這
又是“砌生豬肉”（栽贓）的伎倆。
全球聲援藏人反抗鬥爭
中共為了樹立自己一家之言的權威地位﹐還發動網路憤青與“五毛”（
以在網絡發一則捧政府言論可得五毛獎賞而被謔稱的“網特”）痛批外國媒
體。但是根據非中國官方的資訊﹐這場流血事件中﹐被打死的藏人起碼有一
百多人﹐有些還有名有姓。而流血鎮壓事件已經遍及西藏､青海､甘肅､四
川等大西藏地區。流亡海外藏人也紛紛出來聲援自己的同胞﹐主要在流亡政
府所在地的印度與鄰近西藏尼泊爾﹐還有美國､加拿大､歐洲等西方國家民
眾的支持﹐其中尼泊爾在中國的壓力下對藏人嚴加鎮壓。在華人社會﹐已被
中共統治的香港人多數噤聲﹐怕被扣上“漢奸”､“賣國賊”的帽子﹐有的
馬屁文人還批判胡耀邦當年對少數民族的右傾政策﹐稱讚左宗棠的屠殺﹐只
有社民連到中聯辦抗議。而加拿大多倫多的親共人士也組織遊行聲援中共的
屠殺﹐但被揭發他們竟是換妻俱樂部的成員。
在台灣﹐主張台獨的謝長廷與主張統一的馬英九兩位總統參選人態度有
不同。馬英九的網站開始刊出的是新華社關於共軍沒有開槍的資訊﹐馬英九
三月十七日接受BBC訪問時還說“西藏的情況哪方要為流血負更多的責任
目前情勢尚不清楚”﹔那晚謝長廷參加西藏在台組織於自由廣場舉辦的祈福
晚會時﹐馬英九還派他的發言人蔡詩萍到現場對著媒體譴責民進黨“消費”
西藏﹔但是第二天馬英九馬上改口﹐提出比民進黨還激進的主張說﹐若他當
選中華民國總統，將不排除停止派團前往北京參加二○○八年奧運﹔國民黨
也於當晚在凱達格蘭大道舉辦祈福晚會﹐馬英九從外地趕回來出席。馬英九
當選總統後﹐再沒有對西藏事件發表意見﹐但是自由廣場的祈福晚會一直舉
辦到三月三十日才結束﹐謝長廷有再來一次﹐綠營支持者則輪流聲援﹐最後
兩天還有幾位藏人及台灣人絕食。台灣已經有些人將西藏改稱為“圖博”﹐
是Tibet的新譯﹐也就是古時的“吐蕃”也。在這些活動中﹐台灣的“圖博之
友會”發揮了很大作用。
多國領袖抵制奧運開幕式
中共的無恥及殘暴伎倆﹐震動對他們改善人權充滿希望的西方國家﹐當
然就會波及幾個月後在北京舉行的奧運會。一批運動員要求杯葛北京奧運開
幕式，兩度刷新世界紀錄的法國游泳好手柏納就做出這種表示。為此法國總
統兩次表示他也可能這樣做。其他國家中﹐德國態度最堅決﹐總理､總統､
外長都表示抵制之意﹐捷克總統､波蘭總理､愛沙尼亞總統､日本皇室､英
國皇儲都表示拒絕出席﹔美國總統布殊原先表示不會杯葛﹐但是正在遭到國
會的壓力﹐民主黨及共和黨的15名議員致函布殊，呼籲他重新考慮出席北京
奧運會的決定。
北京在壓力下假惺惺表示願意與達賴喇嘛溝通﹐但是沒有任何實際行動
。中共不但不思悔改還判處中國著名的維權人士﹐特別是關心包括藏人等弱
勢群體權利的胡佳三年半徒刑﹐進一步激怒西方世界與中國維權人士。事態
會如何發展﹐人們大可關注。
“動向”雜誌2008年4月號
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chinese hate

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Beijing to force out foreign students
　

OLYMPIC LEAVE: After incurring the ire of the business community with tighter visa rules, Beijing now plans to have all foreign students gone for July and August

DPA, BEIJING, WITH STAFF WRITER
Friday, Apr 18, 2008, Page 1

China plans to order most foreign students to leave Beijing before the Olympic Games in August, strictly regulate the issuing of business and tourist visas, and deport refugees, sources said yesterday.

“Even if you have to continue your studies in September, you need to leave Beijing in July and August,” a spokeswoman for Beijing University said.

The university is one of China’s most prestigious colleges and enrolls hundreds of foreign students annually on Chinese-language and other courses.

The spokeswoman from Beijing University’s international cooperation department said the two-month gap applies to all universities in Beijing and was ordered by “higher authorities” because of the Olympics.

She said all short-term summer courses for foreigners had been canceled this year.

One Western education official estimated that at least 10,000 students could be affected by the order if it applied to the whole country, though some universities outside Beijing said they were unaware of the rule.

The head of the German academic exchange, the DAAD, said a ban on foreign students during the Olympics was not mentioned in recent meetings with officials.

An administrator of dormitories for foreigners at Tongji University in Shanghai said her department had received no notice banning students during the Olympics.

But a woman who assists foreign students in China said at least two universities outside Beijing, Anhui Normal University and Heilongjiang University, had stopped recruiting foreign students for courses running beyond July.

She said she believed any students with visas until the end of this year would be allowed to stay in Beijing, but she added that most student visas would expire in June before the universities’ normal summer vacation.

A foreign ministry official said he was unaware of any ban on students but the normal education of foreign students “will be guaranteed.”

The official China Daily said about 190,000 foreign students from 188 nations attended courses in China last year.

Asked for comment last night, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Liu Teh-hsun (劉德勳) said he was unaware of the developments, but that the council would monitor the situation.

China has already severely restricted the issuing of short-term and multi-entry business visas, prompting complaints from business groups and diplomats.

Some Beijing-based businesses said they may be unable to fill vacancies until after the Olympics because of the new restrictions.

“You can be sure that all countries affected will raise the issue with the Chinese side very intensively,” one informed source said of the restrictions on business visas.

“It clearly has to do with the Olympics,” the source said.

China appears to have acted partly in response to recent reports that police uncovered at least two terrorist plots targeting the Olympics, the source said, adding that other nations had taken similar security measures in the past.

China’s Foreign Ministry yesterday defended the move and said visas were issued “according to law.”

“I believe it will have no influence on normal business activities in China,” ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu (姜瑜) said.

But Joerg Wuttke, president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, yesterday criticized China for limiting business visas issued in Hong Kong.

Wuttke called the restrictions “truly annoying” and charged that the new visa rules were unclear and had never been published.

The new measures, which an informed source said were temporary, require non-permanent Hong Kong residents to apply for visas in their home countries.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also said it was concerned about the deportation of vulnerable refugees from China before the Olympics.

In a statement posted on its Web site, UNHCR highlighted the case of a 17-year-old unaccompanied refugee who was returned to his country of origin after being taken from his home in Beijing on April 3.

UNHCR spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis said that some of the deportations among the 180 refugees recorded by UNHCR in China “may well constitute a violation” of the 1951 Refugee Convention.

　

　

With a KMT victory, theft is property

Friday, Apr 18, 2008, Page 8

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has not even assumed office following president-elect Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) victory last month, and yet the wheels of the former party-industry cabal that have been rusting for the last eight years have already started to creak into motion.

Evidence of this was seen on Tuesday when Taipei City’s Urban Planning Commission decided to reclassify the land housing the former KMT-affiliated Institute of Policy Research and Development from “administrative” to “residential” use.

The move will enable the Yuan Lih Construction Corp ­— which bought the land from the KMT for NT$4.3 billion (US$133 million) in 2005 — to make as much as a NT$15 billion profit on the deal.

The 2005 sale was controversial for a number of reasons. First, there was the conflict of interest because Ma was KMT chairman at the time as well as Taipei mayor. The commission that decides on land zone issues is also part of the city’s Public Works Committee.

Second, the parcel of land also happened to be part of the KMT’s portfolio of stolen assets, or the land and property that it acquired during the party-state era that critics say should be returned to the state. Selling these properties for profit is hardly, as KMT Legislator Chang Chia-chun (張嘉郡) put it recently, showing “goodwill” when dealing with such a controversial problem.

Construction companies aren’t in the habit of buying land that they cannot build on, so either Yuan Lih’s executives are psychic or they must have received assurances of the so-called “independent” commission’s decision.

Faced with accusations of impropriety, the party and city government’s responses were unsatisfactory, to say the least. The KMT defended the decision by saying that the final go-ahead has to be given by the Ministry of the Interior, but with a new KMT government being installed next month, the outcome of any ministry review seems a foregone conclusion.

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), meanwhile, lauded the committee for its independence. But one only has to look at the formation of the National Communications Commission (NCC) to understand the pan-blue camp’s idea of what constitutes an independent organization.

Maybe this is why the commission waited three years before approving the rezoning. Doing so while Ma was mayor might have compromised his Teflon veneer.

The process followed in this case may have been entirely legal, but something about the whole affair just doesn’t sit right. Conveniently, the Control Yuan, the government body charged with investigating corruption among public servants, has been inactive since late 2004 — when the pan-blue camp began a boycott of the president’s nominees.

Many will be outraged by what has happened this week and see it as a sign of things to come, but with the Democratic Progressive Party neutered in the legislature and no sign of effective administrative oversight on the horizon, there is little that can be done.

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) warned in a March 3 television interview that those frustrated by a lack of representation in the pan-blue legislature may have to take to the streets to have their voices heard should the KMT win the presidency.

If many more cases like this come to light once the KMT enters the Presidential Office, then Chen’s words may prove to be prescient.

　

　

‘Burma’ vs ‘Myanmar’

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” (Romeo and Juliet).

In a recent article I wrote to the editor (Letters, April 14, page 8) I was dismayed to find that the Taipei Times took the liberty of changing the name “Burma” to “Myanmar.”

Indeed, what is in a name? A name ensured a tragic end to the famous young lovers Romeo and Juliet in their quest for love.

A difference in opinion over the name of “Macedonia” guaranteed ongoing disputes between Macedonia and Greece.

A “minority”-like name promised a lifetime of discrimination for thousands of Blacks, Irish and Jews throughout the US and Europe up until the early 20th century (and even today in certain areas).

Enforced name changes saw the humiliation and cultural genocide of Aborigines everywhere, and the “wrong” names linked to a certain caste or class guaranteed a lifetime of suffering in much of South Asia.

In the case of Taiwan, the name that is selected for the country impacts on its right to participate in international organizations and its very right to existence as an independent, sovereign state.

The recent name change of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall to today’s National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall certainly saw plenty of controversy.

The official name of Burma today is the “Union of Myanmar.” This was passed in 1989 by the current Burmese junta, a political act intended to justify its rule and its xenophobic, anti-West attitude.

Though many of its allies recognize this name change, some of the world’s more prominent states such as the US and the UK continue to use the name “Burma.” Even today, the US embassy on University Road in Rangoon/Yangon proudly refers to itself as the Embassy of the United States, Union of Burma.

Many non-governmental organizations and pressure groups, as well as human rights and democracy activists, also choose to recognize “Burma” and not “Myanmar.”

This is an important issue, as referring to the state as Burma guaranteed the recognition of the sovereignty and independence of the Burmese state, but not of its repressive, backward and shameful military junta.

Just as the term “Chinese Taipei” is derogatory to the 23 million people of Taiwan, and just as vice president-elect Vincent Siew’s (蕭萬長) attendance at the recent Boao Forum in his capacity as a civilian chairman of the Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation was a very conscious but misguided choice, the Taipei Times’ changing of “Burma” to “Myanmar” is a disappointing, misguided and political action, which I believe is unwarranted and beyond the scope of its “reservations to edit, change, or condense” for the benefit of the paper.

For a paper dedicated to progressive, democratic ideals, I truly hope the Taipei Times will at least respect the rights of its readers when publishing their letters.

Roger Lee Huang
Taipei

　

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海洋之聲台

20080403自由時報　　選後失望？ 海洋之聲台北台長疑自焚亡
上一頁 向上 下一頁

2008.04.03自由時報　　

〔記者鄭淑婷、彭顯鈞／綜合報導〕選舉輓歌？親綠的海洋之聲台北分台台長阿勇（本名廖述炘），疑似不滿總統大選結果，一日深夜被人發現在錄音間自焚身亡，現場散著濃濃汽油、酒精味，板橋地檢署檢察官黃育仁相驗後，發現死者僅下半身有燒傷，且口鼻沒有明顯碳粉痕跡，確切死因仍無法下定論。民進黨呼籲支持者務必冷靜，好好珍惜生命。

民進黨呼籲支持者冷靜

民進黨立院黨團幹事長賴清德表示，面對敗選，民進黨會深自檢討，支持者應往前看，台灣建國大業需要每個人的付出和努力，千萬不要輕易做出傷害自己的事。黨團書記長葉宜津和立委田秋堇也說，大家沒悲觀的權利，未來只有共同努力奮鬥，千萬珍惜生命，也呼籲媒體不要刻意渲染。

廖述炘在台北台的同事說，廖近日因ＮＣＣ抄電台的事情很憂鬱，甚至曾說「跟他拚了」等語，加上民進黨總統大選狂輸，心情更沉重，不排除因此想不開，用激烈方式表達心聲。

警方調查，沒有黨籍的廖述炘四十五歲，戶籍地在台中市西屯區，去年十二月到海洋之聲位於台北縣新莊市中山路一段的台北台，擔任台長一職，電台位置是向一家中醫公司轉租，平時下午四點到晚上十一點上班，負責台北台行政、器材管理等業務。

警方指出，廖某一日下午照慣例出現在電台，晚上九點十六分左右，他第一次走出大樓，九點半回來時，手裡提著白色桶子，十點多他又下樓拿東西給朋友，再回到辦公室待著，直到十點多他下樓詢問值班警衛，確認原本在錄音間的男、女主持人已離開，此後他就一直待在辦公室裡。

值班警衛說，十一點值班台後方警鈴大作，他立刻衝上十三樓查看，發現錄音間門縫不斷出水，直覺是灑水系統啟動、裡頭失火了，但門被反鎖無法打開，趕緊請其他保全報警，消防隊員破門、以大樓消防栓灌救，火勢撲滅後，發現廖某坐在椅子上，俯趴桌上已無氣息，現場只有濃濃汽油味、與散落在廖某腳邊的酒瓶。

僅傷下半身 真相待釐清

警方初步研判，現場散落著汽油桶，廖某疑似自焚身亡，但小小錄音間被燒得焦黑，廖某遺體只有下半身有灼傷，上半身的燒傷卻不明顯，板橋地檢署檢察官黃育仁相驗後表示，現場有汽油桶、酒瓶，但口鼻沒有明顯碳粉痕跡，是被燒死、濃煙嗆死抑或有其他原因，仍待進一步調查釐清。

警方在自焚現場、廖某家中，都沒有發現遺書。廖述炘的同事表示，廖某的生活相當低調，從台中北上，獨自在新莊租屋居住，屋內陳設簡單到不行，除了棉被、皮包，幾乎甚麼都沒有，連衣櫃裡也只有一兩件衣服。

廖某家屬接獲噩耗，媽媽、女兒從台中趕上來處理後事，廖某女兒表示，三月下旬曾與爸爸通過電話，當時沒發現他有甚麼異樣。
　

　

Pro-china at Taiwan

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US wary of warmer Taiwan-China ties
　

Too close?: A Congressional Research Service report said closer ties could result in Taiwan growing increasingly resistant to US pressure and ultimately damage US regional interests
　

By Charles Snyder
STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON
Saturday, Apr 05, 2008, Page 1

Some US officials fear that under Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) presidency, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) might swing far enough toward China that it could affect US interests in Taiwan and damage US interests in the region, a new congressional report indicates.

This, despite the fact that Ma has said he will place a high priority on repairing strained Taiwan-US ties that accompanied President Chen Shui-bian’s ( 陳水扁) last few years in the presidency, the report, an internal memo to congressmen from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) says.

The report, dated Wednesday, analyzes last month’s presidential election and Ma’s landslide victory and its likely impact on Taiwan’s domestic situation and relations with Washington and Beijing.

Based on conversations with US officials while the author, Kerry Dumbaugh, was in Taiwan to observe the election and other sources, the report says: “Some observers in the past have expressed concern that the United States may have underestimated the importance of the sea change in KMT thinking that arose from the visits to the PRC by senior KMT officials beginning in 2005.”

That alludes to visits to Beijing by former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and his ally, People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), for discussions with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤 ) and other Chinese leaders on potential cross-strait ties that were intended, some charged, with undermining Chen’s presidency.

“Those visits, according to this view, may have given pro-China interests in the KMT a new, alternate vision for Taiwan’s future,” the report said. “If this concern is founded, one consequence could be the growing inurement of the KMT to US pressure or interests.”

For instance, “Taiwan could resist US pressure that it increase military spending on the grounds that such expenditures are too high, too confrontational and may be unnecessary in light of potential improvements in cross-strait interactions. Some worry then that the KMT, driven in large part by economic imperatives and pressures from the Taiwan business community, could reach an accommodation with Beijing that ultimately may damage US regional interests,” the report said.

The CRS is the congressional arm intended to keep lawmakers abreast of issues they must deal with, and congressional members rely on it heavily to form their views on legislation, especially among members unfamiliar with a topic, such as Taiwan and cross-strait issues.

Despite any concerns by some US observers, the report said that “the continued success in 2008 of Taiwan’s democratic development is a welcome validation of US goals and values. It also further emphasizes the unique and delicate challenge for US policy that Taiwan poses.”

It cited strong US and Taiwan trade and defense commitments, plus Taiwan’s vibrant free democracy, set off against China’s sovereignty claims and Washington’s official non-support for Taiwan’s independence.

“Under the new KMT government, then, the United States will be faced with challenges familiar from past years, including decisions on new arms sales; how to accommodate requests for visits to the United States by Ma and other senior Taiwan officials; the level of US relations with the Ma government; whether to pursue closer economic ties; and what role, if any, Washington should play in cross-strait relations,” the CRS concluded.

　

　

Dalai Lama envoy urges PRC to drop Tibet in relay

AGENCIES, BEIJING AND LONDON
Saturday, Apr 05, 2008, Page 1

An envoy of the Dalai Lama urged Beijing to cancel “provocative” plans to run the Olympic torch relay through Tibet, but China promptly dismissed his call yesterday as a bid to sabotage the Games.

Meanwhile a report said China would begin putting people on trial this month over the unrest — the biggest challenge to Chinese rule in Tibet in decades — as Beijing has moved to ensure no repeat before the August Olympics.

Lodi Gyari, an envoy of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, told a US Congressional hearing on Thursday that Beijing’s communist leaders should abandon plans to bring the Olympic flame through Tibet.

“This idea of taking the torch through Tibet, I really think, should be canceled precisely because that would be very deliberately provocative and very insulting after what has happened,” he said.

The torch will pass through Tibet next month to go up Mount Everest, and then again when it goes through Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, in June. Chinese officials have already pledged tight security for the Tibetan legs.

Gyari said that if the Chinese authorities went ahead with the torch run in Tibet, it would “bring more adverse publicity” to the Olympic Games in Beijing — which China wants to be a national showcase of its rising standing.

“The Olympic flame is the highest symbol of the Olympic spirit. It represents peace, friendship and progress,” Zhu Jing, a spokeswoman for the Beijing Olympic organizing committee, said yesterday in response to Gyari.

“The fact that the ‘Dalai clique’ calls for a cancelation of the torch relay has exposed the reality of its attempt to sabotage the Beijing Olympic Games,” she said.

Protests in Lhasa claimed their first lives on March 14, amid fierce anti-Chinese demonstrations to mark the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising.

Beijing says rioters killed 18 civilians and two police officers. Exiled Tibetan leaders have put the death toll from the Chinese crackdown at 135 to 140 Tibetans, with another 1,000 injured and many detained.

The Tibet Commerce newspaper said late on Thursday that more than 1,000 people had either been caught by police or turned themselves in.

Trials of at least some would begin next month, the paper reported, citing the deputy chief of the Lhasa Communist Party, Wang Xiangming.

Meanwhile, Beijing’s plans for the London leg of the Olympic torch relay suffered a double blow on Thursday when it emerged that the Chinese ambassador to London and the BBC’s most senior journalist have abandoned plans to take part in the event tomorrow.

With human-rights groups preparing to stage mass rallies along the 50km route, the Chinese confirmed Fu Ying had withdrawn from running a leg of the relay.

Mark Byford, deputy director general of the BBC, has also backed out of a commitment to carry the torch amid concerns that his participation would compromise the corporation’s journalistic standards.

Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said yesterday that International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge had told members that China’s policies toward Tibet had no bearing on this summer’s Games and dismissed talk of a boycott.

　

　

Bo Yang classic reaches out to today’s youth
　

NEW MEDIA: Last August, the author began planning a comic version of one of his most famous works, saying it could reach out to those who don’t read often

By Hsieh Wen-hua
STAFF REPORTER
Saturday, Apr 05, 2008, Page 3
　
Hsu Jung-chang, right, publisher of the comic edition of the book "The Ugly Chinaman" by Bo Yang and cartoonist MoMo hold up two drawings from the book. The book will be released this year.


PHOTO: HSIEH WEN-HUA, TAIPEI TIMES


A comic-strip version of The Ugly Chinaman, a popular book by human rights activist and writer Bo Yang (柏楊), will be soon be published.

In The Ugly Chinaman, Bo Yang presented controversial, in-depth criticism of Chinese culture, depicting the Chinese as dirty, noisy and vainglorious brown-nosers who are incessantly fighting amongst themselves.

The book came as a shock when it was first published in Taiwan in 1984, said Chang Hsiang-hua (張香華), Bo Yang’s wife.

Although the book was banned in China until 2000, underground copies had spread as far as the Xinjiang region and Heilongjiang Province by then, she said.

In last August, Bo began planning a comic version of the book, saying that it could reach out to young people today, who tend not to read.

The publisher of the comic edition, Hsu Jung-chang (徐榮昌), said he had long been a fan of Bo’s original work.

Jung said he admired Bo’s faculty for critical analysis and that the author’s sharp insight had not faded over the decades.

Cartoonist MoMo — who was born in 1980 and is 60 years younger than Bo — was given the task of drawing the comic version.

MoMo said that the age difference meant that she could reinterpret the classic book from the perspective of a younger generation. She hopes to make the comic version a tool of civic education across generations and national boundaries and pass on Bo’s gift of critical thinking to others.

MoMo, who has worked as a cartoonist for 20 years, has never published a complete comic book.

“When I agreed to take the job, I didn’t know who Bo Yang was and didn’t know how serious it was,” she said.

The only thing that Bo Yang asked from her was to “make it really funny and make him look stupid,” she said.

In the illustrated version of The Ugly Chinaman, Bo will appear as one of the characters, who often argues with others.

Contemporary issues, including campus shootings in the US and the Japanese whaling industry, will be discussed in the book alongside the orginal themes of the problems with Chinese culture.

“The most difficult part is softening the image of Bo Yang, who is a serious person,” MoMo said.

Bo began experiencing serious health problems in September 2006 and he has been in and out of hospitals several times since then. Because of his health troubles, he has stopped writing.

Chang said on Thursday as he visited Bo in the hospital that Bo, who was recently hospitalized again for pneumonia, follows Taiwanese politics closely despite his illness.

Bo, who was a political prisoner for 10 years during the Martial Law era, is disappointed in the Democratic Progressive Party administration, but is worried about the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) return to power, Chang said.

　

　

Underground radio host kills himself after DPP's defeat

AP, WITH STAFF WRITER
Saturday, Apr 05, 2008, Page 3

A 45-year-old radio host set his studio alight and burned himself to death a week after his beloved Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost the presidency to its Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rival. The suicide of Liao Shu-hsin (廖述炘) attracted considerable attention as both supporters and detractors of president-elect Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) are carefully weighing the impact of his victory over DPP candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) in the March 22 poll.

Liao’s friends at Voice of the Ocean radio station in Sinjhuang (新莊), Taipei County, said they were convinced that he killed himself out of despair over the election result, and its dire consequences for the DPP and the nation’s sovereignty.

“He felt depressed because Taiwanese elected a Chinese as their president,” colleague Chang Chih-mei (張志梅) said. “A Chinese for him is actually a foreigner.”

Chang said that Liao had also been unhappy with the National Communications Commission, which since last year has been continually confiscating equipment from the Voice of the Ocean’s stations in Taipei, Taoyuan and Taichung.

Throughout the election campaign, Voice of the Ocean and other DPP-allied underground stations beat out a constant drum roll of anti-Ma rhetoric, accusing him of being a pro-China politician ready to sell out the nation’s interests to Beijing.

They were particularly incensed by his support for closer economic ties with China, seeing it as the opening gambit in a carefully planned campaign to bring about unification between the sides.

Ma has said that expanded trade and investment are necessary to help jump-start the nation’s economic engine.

He insists hower that he will not discuss unification during his presidency.

Former DPP legislator Chuang Suo-hang (莊碩漢) said that the party was at a crossroads and that if it wants to return to power, it must moderate its pro-independence message to win the allegiance of key centrist voters.

Chuang and other DPP lawmakers have called for outgoing President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Hsieh to make way for a new generation of reformers, who would maintain the party’s emphasis on Taiwanese identity, while developing practical solutions to boost economic performance.

National Taipei University political scientist Hou Han-chun (侯漢君) said that Hsieh gave a hint of this during his campaign, echoing Ma’s calls for greater economic engagement with China, while insisting he would limit changes to safeguard the interests of economically vulnerable farmers and workers.

Ho said that the president-elect was now faced with the challenge of either improving the economy fast or being punished in four years in the next president election.

“Voters don’t have great patience,” he said. “If the Nationalists [KMT] fail to improve the economy quickly, they will switch to the DPP.”

　

　

　

　

Ma, Hu, Bush head back to the past
　

By Hsu Yung-ming 徐永明
Saturday, Apr 05, 2008, Page 8

Chinese National Party (KMT) candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) obtained more than 7 million votes in the presidential election, scoring a big win over Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷). Having fallen short by 2 million votes, the DPP was, without a doubt, a big loser. Nevertheless, it will soon become clear the biggest winner was the US.

Recently there has been a high level of activity from the White House and State Department. US President George W. Bush immediately sent a congratulatory note to Ma upon his victory. The White House also released, through the State Department, the contents of a telephone conversation between Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) in which the term “1992 consensus” was used in their discussions about Taiwan.

In their conversation, the concensus was defined as room for different interpretations of “one China,” echoing the wording of the KMT’s phrase “one China with each side having its own interpretation.” At the same time, the White House announced that it was considering the possibility of Ma visiting the US before his inauguration and sent American Institute in Taiwan Chairman Raymond Burghardt to Taipei for some more shuttle diplomacy.

These carefully timed actions look like what transpired in 2000 when president-elect Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was preparing his “four noes and one not” speech before assuming office. The difference is that in 2000 the concern was over suppressing the DPP’s pro-independence leanings by providing assurances to the US to mollify an anxious Beijing.

This time around the approach has been completely different. Through the Bush-Hu conversation, the US indirectly endorsed the KMT’s position of “one China with each side having its own interpretation,” using the so-called “1992 consensus” to combine Beijing’s “one China” principle, the US’ “one China” policy and the KMT’s interpretation into an amorphous “one China consensus.”

The one area in which they all overlap is the belief that Taiwan is a part of China.

The KMT and the Chinese Communist Party have different ideas about what China is. The US recognizes the commonalities and differences in their positions and wants to arrive at the eventual solution through peaceful means. The disagreement is not over one China, but rather the mutual denial of the other side’s interpretation.

In light of all this, the DPP’s defeat was not just the electoral setback of a politician or a party. It also signifies that Taiwanese independence will not be an item on a future cross-strait agenda. The US, China and the KMT have schemed together to exclude any discussion of Taiwan’s de jure independence from this cross-strait one China structure.

Even though the DPP has asked to be included in future cross-strait negotiations and Chen again questioned the existence of a “1992 consensus” in his meeting with Burghardt, these were feeble attempts at protest. There is no way to stop the formation of a long-term stable “one China” structure within the US-China-Taiwan dynamic. A new power structure has already pushed out the DPP and independence advocates.

A democratic Taiwan that does not pursue de jure independence is probably the most in line with US interests.

Democracy can be used to enclose China. It also keeps Taiwan from being swallowed by China. Moreover, a Taiwan that does not pursue de jure independence will not interfere in Sino-American relations. There would no longer be any need to handle situations arising from Taiwan’s independence-pursuing tendencies.

This kind of Taiwan would no longer be a troublemaker in Washington’s eyes. Moreover, it would be an important pillar of a stable and peaceful framework concocted by the US and Beijing.

Not surprisingly, former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), an old hand in these matters, was able to see how the intimate interactions between Ma and the US would bring Taiwan back to the era of late president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) and relegate it to the role of a dependant regime.



Hsu Yung-ming is an assistant professor of political science at Soochow University.

　

　

Ma should not begin playing the name game
　

By Chao Kang 趙剛
Saturday, Apr 05, 2008, Page 8

There have been reports that president-elect Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has said that the changing of the name of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂) was illegal and was therefore invalid, and that a consensus on whether it should be changed back should be sought through a public poll. The name change, however, was a political issue rather than a legal issue, and needs to be solved with tact and political wisdom rather than by judicial means. The goal is to dispel social conflict rather than determine a certain procedure. There’s a time for everything, and it would be a pity if Ma doesn’t understand that.

Moreover, the fact that Ma won a landslide victory means that the public has high expectations of him. As Max Weber said, a politician should be equipped with not only the ethic of ultimate ends but also the ethic of responsibility. If the new president hides behind polls, claiming that he is just following public opinion, he would demonstrate a lack of courage. He would be wrong to suppresses the minority opinion with the majority opinion, thus repressing the memories of one group with the memories of another group.

More importantly, if he failed to honor his campaign promises, he would be dishonest. Social fractures need to be mended and a political direction needs to be established. Ma’s call to revert to the old name shows a lack of deliberation.

If mending social cleavages and mapping out a political direction are the top priorities of the next government, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) should not seek revenge for the smallest grievance and throw the country into a vicious circle of infighting. Instead, it must have the wisdom and stature to shoulder the task left by its predecessor.

In pursuit of realistic political interests, one can’t just change things based on political affiliation; and at the level of political symbolism, one can’t just seek shortsighted solutions and pour salt on opponents’ wounds.

The question is whether this election will help Taiwan move away from ethnic conflict, which is what the public wants. This will depend on whether there will be a new political direction conforming to principles of justice. If Ma and his government incorporate this in their mission, they should accept the historical mistakes and thus accept that the inscription of dazhong zhizheng (大中至正) — which only served to glorify one person — was changed to “Liberty Square.”

Not only should Ma accept the name change, he should also promote liberty, equality and fraternity. For example, with the increasing income gap, wouldn’t it be better to change the name of Da-an Forest Park to “Equality Forest Park?” Also, wouldn’t it be better if we change the name of the 228 Peace Park to the “228 Philanthropy Park?”

If we made these changes, liberty, equality and fraternity would shine over Taipei. Since these values are still lacking in Taiwan’s society, I can cherish the memories of the contemporary Chinese revolution as well as the efforts and sacrifice of the tangwai (outside the party) democratic pioneers. Maybe it could also make the public question and evaluate themselves by asking if we really are free, equal and altruistic, thus making ethnic hatred gradually disappear and give way to a greater sense of shared ethics. Who is to say that Liberty Square and the promotion of liberty, equality and fraternity aren’t appropriate?

Of course, if the next government turns out to be just like the outgoing government, engaging in name changes as soon as it takes power, failing to listen to the public or enact progressive policies, then nothing will have changed. People have been listening to Ma since the presidential election. After May 20 they will be watching to see what he does.



Chao Kang is a sociology professor at Tunghai University.

　

　

Chinese pollution quietly takes its toll on Japan
　

Some schools in the country's south have occasionally curbed activities because of toxic chemical smog from China's factories or sand storms from the Gobi Desert caused by rampant deforestation

By Kyoko Hasegawa
AFP, YAMAGATA, JAPAN
Saturday, Apr 05, 2008, Page 9



　

With a smile on her tanned face, skiier Kazumi Furukawa can vividly recall the time three years ago she stood here on Mount Zao and looked down at fir trees turned into glittering crystals.

"The sky was cobalt blue and I could see the tiny snow crystals on the tips of the tree branches," Furukawa, 56, remembers.

But these days the natural phenomenon is growing rarer and scientists say the culprit is beyond Japan's control - industrial pollution from China.

Mount Zao is whipped every year by wet winds from across the Sea of Japan that form layers of ice and snow that shine like crystals. The Japanese call them juhyo, or ice trees.

Skiiers from Japan and other Asian nations regularly fly to the 1,600m mountain just for a glimpse of the juhyo, which local people describe as little monsters for their intricate twisted shapes.

Fumitaka Yanagisawa, an assistant professor of Yamagata University who has studied the juhyo for nearly two decades, warns that the frost is increasingly mixed with acid, spelling danger for the trees' future.

This year he recorded the highest yet levels of acid, "which could have severe ramifications on the eco-system," he said.

Looking at satellite data, he and another professor, Junichi Kudo of Tohoku University, concluded that the acid in the trees came from sulfur produced at factories in China's Shanxi Province.

Since he first wrote about his research in a scientific journal in 2006, elementary school teachers have asked him to give lectures to local children.

"It's hard to explain this kind of scientific evidence to children, but finally they seem to come up with the same question: 'What are you going to do about the problem?'" Yanagisawa said.

He regretted that he had no good answer.

"The pollution comes from outside Japan. There's a limit to what local residents here can do," he said.

Mount Zao is only one example of pollution hitting Japan from China, where factory emissions are causing international concern as its economy soars ahead.

Some schools in southern Japan and South Korea have occasionally curbed activities because of toxic chemical smog from China's factories or sand storms from the Gobi Desert caused by rampant deforestation.

Environmental ministers of China, Japan and South Korea agreed last year to look jointly at the problem, but Tokyo has accused Beijing of secrecy.

"About yellow sand, I am not quite sure how and why it can be regarded as a national secret," Japanese environment minister Ichiro Kamoshita said in February.

Yanagisawa remembers making a presentation on his academic findings at a Chinese university in the early 1990s.

"When I suggested the possibility that Japan was being hurt by cross-border pollution from China, the whole audience booed my speech," he said with a bitter smile.

"Even now, it's a sort of taboo to mention cross-border pollution when I'm invited to give a speech in China," he said.

Japanese officials say they are hoping to cooperate on the environment with Beijing, as Tokyo has been trying to repair ties after years of friction.

"It will have adverse effects if we push China too much on cross-border pollution," said Reiko Sodeno, an environmental ministry official who has observed past bilateral talks.

"Blaming other countries wouldn't help to solve the problem, as it only hurts national pride," she said.

She said the goal was for Asian nations to come up with a treaty on long-range transboundary air pollution similar to agreements in place among European and North American nations.

Japan also suffered terrible air and water pollution as it built itself into the world's second-largest economy, but the situation has been improving since regulations were imposed in the 1970s.

China has taken steps to clean up its air to avoid international embarrassment at the Beijing Games in August after a warning from the International Olympic Committee.

"I have high hopes that in this year of the Olympics for China that Beijing will cooperate in international efforts towards cutting emissions of air pollutants," Sodeno said.

　

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