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EDITORIAL: Human
rights key to cross-strait ties
Tamding Tso, a 23-year-old woman, self-immolated and died in Amdo region,
eastern Tibet, on Wednesday, raising the number of Tibetans who have set
themselves ablaze in protest against the repressive Chinese regime since
February 2009 to almost 70.
Maybe people read these kinds of stories too often to think that they are
significant, or maybe they do not read them at all. Either way, Taiwanese, and
in particular the administration of Ma Ying-jeou (°¨^¤E), have not been paying
enough attention.
Worse still, the government appears to have intentionally ignored the whole
issue of human rights, which has attracted worldwide concern and condemnation of
the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime.
Ma loves to boast about his emphasis on human rights and his achievement of
making Taiwan a beacon of democracy in East Asia and the Chinese world. The
president has also reiterated that Taiwanese democracy could be a good example
for the Chinese to follow.
Which makes one wonder why his administration stays silent on the developments
in Tibet, where Tibetans still hope for the religious freedom, preservation of
their culture and self autonomy that Beijing promised them in a 1951 peace
treaty, but did not deliver.
Perhaps this is not so surprising after seeing the administration stop
criticizing human rights developments in China, sidestep issues related to
Chinese dissidents and remove information regarding Beijing¡¦s suppression of
Taiwan¡¦s participation in international affairs from the Web site of the
Mainland Affairs Council.
These efforts were made in the name of promoting cross-strait harmony and
defusing tension, and were seen as olive branches extended to Beijing so that
differences of opinion could be shelved and 18 agreements could be signed in
four years.
Not forgetting the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission ¡X strange as it may
seem as Mongolia has been independent since 1921 ¡X which sits under the
Executive Yuan. The agency has not commented on the current situation in Tibet,
which the Republic of China still considers as part of its territory.
The other party in the pan-blue camp, the People First Party, has also ignored
the Tibetan issue.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) claims to uphold universal values of
democracy and human rights and has been a constant critic of China over human
rights. It began its push for more cross-strait dialogue after losing January¡¦s
presidential election, saying that it would be ¡§the last mile¡¨ the party needs
to cover to assure voters that it is capable of handling cross-strait affairs.
Former premier Frank Hsieh¡¦s (Áªø§Ê) recent high-profile visit to China became the
DPP¡¦s first step toward building such a relationship. The trip earned mixed
reviews as Hsieh failed to say anything that might offend Beijing.
That may be understandable from the first DPP politician to ¡§break the ice,¡¨ and
who is trying to reduce hostility between the two sides. However, if the DPP is
able to ¡§normalize the bilateral engagement¡¨, the party, which has regularly
lambasted the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) for its ¡§kowtowing to China,¡¨ will
also be put under the same microscope regarding its interactions with China.
Most would not oppose the DPP¡¦s efforts to promote bilateral understanding and
communication. An improved relationship between the party and Beijing could help
stabilize cross-strait relations, especially as the CCP appears to sense that
placing all its bets on the KMT is risky, making understanding the DPP vital.
However, if the DPP is serious about understanding ¡§every aspect of China¡¨ as
DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (Ĭs©÷) has said, it should pay attention to the
suffering that exists there as well as to China¡¦s prosperity.
Promoting bilateral engagement is commendable, but the true barometer for
assessing normalized cross-strait engagement is whether the ruling and
opposition parties in Taiwan consistently voice their concerns over human rights
and democratic progress in China.
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