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EDITORIAL: Relevancy
crucial for young people
Amid the recent media uproar and political turmoil after the row between
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) over
allegations of improper lobbying against Wang, a street interview with 28
high-school students and other young people showed that about half of them were
completely unaware of the power struggle between the two politicians and some
even thought Wang was the interior minister.
When asked about issues they considered more important than the political rift,
some said whether Typhoon Usagi would affect their barbeque plans during the
Mid-Autumn Festival mattered more to them.
One student even said he wanted to see news about former Taipei EasyCard Corp
chairman Sean Lien (連勝文) because he thought Lien was dead.
The interview sparked discussions about political apathy among young people.
Many ridiculed political parties and media outlets for being too absorbed in the
Ma-Wang power struggle, while bemoaning young people’s lack of interest in
politics.
However, the lack of knowledge about current political issues among young
people, as emphasized in the interview, does not reveal what does matter to
them.
The increasing number of young people joining social protests over the past year
indicates that they are interested in a range of issues. Even those with no
interest in the Ma-Wang struggle have expressed other political concerns by
attending protests.
Last month, more than 110,000 people took to the streets in Taipei over the
death of 24-year-old army conscript Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘). He died 72 hours
before his scheduled discharge from the military after strenuous physical
activity as punishment for bringing a mobile phone with a camera onto an army
base without permission.
The majority of the protesters, mobilized by anonymous online organizers, were
young people. Many attended the protest because they had been or were then in
the military. Human rights in the military was a relevant issue to them.
Young people’s engagement in political activities can also be seen in the
ongoing protests against the government’s forced demolition of four houses in
Dapu Borough (大埔) in Miaoli County.
There are almost no political hands in the organization of and participation in
the protests at Dapu; most of the events are managed by young people.
The death of Chang Sen-wen (張森文), whose body was found in an irrigation channel
on Wednesday, two months after his home was torn down by the Miaoli County
Government, sparked more protests against Miaoli County Commissioner Liu
Cheng-hung (劉政鴻) and the Ma administration.
These protests, along with rallies in support of the rights of other groups,
show that the nation’s young people are not politically apathetic. They show
passion for the rights of laborers and minority groups, and for a wide range of
social issues. Because they are otherwise detached from politics, it is easier
for them to address issues directly and avoid manipulation by the pan-blue and
pan-green camps.
As Ma’s support rate plummeted to 9 percent amid his political vendetta against
Wang, he should take a look at the video of the interview and see how young
people could not care less about the political rift he caused.
While Wang’s alleged illegal lobbying is an important issue that should not be
overlooked, Ma’s intention to alienate the faction within the Chinese
Nationalist Party (KMT) led by Wang could not have been more obvious.
He must call an end to the political rift and end the deadlock in the
legislature. Economic growth, the employment rate, social justice and other
issues are much more relevant. Ma should look at the agendas of regular people
and pursue those.
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