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Singer causes uproar
with ROC flag at UK concert
FAN-TASTIC: Deserts Chang said she was not
making a political statement by unfurling the flag on stage, but a Chinese fan
was so offended she said Deserts was ¡¥dead¡¦ to her
By Stacy Hsu / Staff writer, with CNA
Netizens from Taiwan and China have been engaged in a heated debate over the
appropriateness of Taiwanese singer-songwriter Deserts Chang (±iÄa) bringing a
Republic of China (ROC) national flag on stage at her concert in the UK on
Saturday, a move that was met with angry shouts from a Chinese woman in the
audience.
The conflict broke out in the middle of the show at the University of Manchester
when Chang took an ROC flag from a group of Taiwanese students in the front row
and unfurled it on stage, saying: ¡§I see there are also people who bring a
national flag to the concert. I have not felt so patriotic for a while ... and I
am from Taiwan.¡¨
The singer¡¦s gesture apparently enraged the Chinese fan, who shouted: ¡§There are
students from mainland [China] here. No politics today.¡¨
To which Chang said: ¡§It¡¦s not politics, it is just a flag that represents where
I am from.¡¨
The argument continued on the blogosphere on Monday, when a user of the Chinese
social networking site Douban.com who identified herself as the Chinese woman
who was shouting at the concert, posted an article defending her outburst.
¡§I just want to point out the fact that she [Chang] did use the words ¡¥national
flag,¡¦ which, according to Wikipedia, means: ¡¥A flag that symbolizes a
country,¡¦¡¨ the woman wrote.
She went on to say that she respected the opinions of Chang and everyone who
comes from Taiwan, adding that she could not care less what they said about such
a ¡§sensitive subject¡¨ in private.
¡§However, as a star whose words carry significant weight, she [Chang] went too
far when she brought the subject to the table,¡¨ the woman said, adding: ¡§Deserts
Chang is dead to me now.¡¨
The woman also criticized other Chinese fans at the concert for not backing her
up when their ¡§bottom lines were being challenged.¡¨
In response, Chang issued a statement on her Facebook page yesterday in which
she said she did not have any politically driven ulterior motives when she
unfurled the flag, nor was she trying to advocate her political views when the
Chinese woman interrupted her.
¡§Most of the audience that day were ethnic Chinese. I saw a group of Taiwanese
students waving the flag along with a cardboard sign with my name on it in the
middle of my performance, so I brought them to the stage,¡¨ Chang said in the
statement.
Chang added that it was not her intention to set a political tone for the
performance by waving the flag.
¡§I am perfectly aware that ROC national flags are a sensitive symbol for some
and I have also given a lot of thought regarding my national identity for
years,¡¨ the singer said. ¡§In spite of everything, I still don¡¦t want to run away
from any opportunities to interact [with Chinese people] or to avoid talking
about what the flag means to you and me,¡¨ Chang said.
¡§I truly hope that someday, somewhere, in all places and to anybody, we can
always talk to each other and we can always listen,¡¨ she said.
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