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Stability equals prosperity
Wednesday, Sep 15, 2010, Page 8
In June, we had the chance to participate in the Formosa Foundation¡¦s Ambassador
Program for students. We enjoyed this unique two-week experience in Washington
featuring workshops with many outstanding officials and academics, and meetings
with members of Congress and their staffers. The goal of the program was to
improve US-Taiwan relations.
Many of the participating speakers appreciated Taiwan¡¦s current efforts to
stabilize cross-strait relations, and were critical of the tense partisanship of
Taiwanese politics and the ensuing instability. Similarly, as an American and a
Taiwanese, we are saddened to see many frictions among Taiwanese who counteract
each other¡¦s endeavors to help their country. To prosper ¡X we believe ¡X Taiwan
should strive to achieve domestic and regional stability.
We are aware of Taiwan¡¦s history and understand the deep-seated emotions
prevalent in modern Taiwanese politics. While having watched the movie Formosa
Betrayed, we were deeply moved by the tragedy of the murder of the Lin family
and professor Chen Wen-chen (³¯¤å¦¨), and we feel great respect for the pioneers of
Taiwanese democracy.
However, we are very concerned about the continued and deeply entrenched
antagonism between pan-green and pan-blue political factions. Political
prosecution, corruption and other misdeeds of the past should not be forgotten,
but the lessons they teach cannot be learned by ¡§hating the others.¡¨ If
parochial enmity continues to supersede pragmatism, the care for the people and
the pursuit of common interests, it might bring some short-lived media attention
for the instigators, but it will hurt Taiwan¡¦s democracy, its society and its
reputation abroad.
Those who fail to reach out and to bridge opposed parties may fail democracy as
a whole. Some of our young Taiwanese friends have become reluctant to vote and
turn their heads away from politics in disgust for corruption, endless partisan
bickering and physical violence in the Legislative Yuan. Taiwan¡¦s political
system cannot afford to be ridiculed and to lose younger generations.
We believe it is possible for Taiwan to preserve its de facto independence, if
Taiwanese spend less time fighting each other and more on fighting together for
the issues of common interest to them. Taiwanese who prefer self-determination
over political coercion hold the key to success in their own hands.
They will prevail by opening their minds to new ideas, by working together with
political adversaries for common interests to truly address the needs of the
Taiwanese public, by involving foreigners and inviting them to Taiwan to
strengthen social networks between this beautiful country and the rest of the
world and by educating foreigners (including visiting mainlanders) about Taiwan.
This will help Taiwan find its inner peace, strengthen its institutions and
increase its credibility abroad. It will also boost its self-confidence in
foreign policy.
We are confident that Taiwan will rise to the challenge. Taiwanese people have
shown their ability to excel in vastly different fields. If Taiwan is able to
define and to strengthen its own identity with which all of its people can
associate, it will be able to withstand the strongest storms.
Adrian Ineichen
Zurich, Switzerland
Lin Chia-yin
Taipei
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