Every "Taiwanese" has the right to be "Taiwanese"

Every "Taiwanese" has the right to be "Taiwanese"
United Daily News editorial
translated by Bevin Chu
July 18, 2007

Frank Hsieh says he advocates reconciliation and coexistence. As a result, people have certain expectations about him. They hope he will respect the right of every Taiwanese to be Taiwanese.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) says that "Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country, its current name is the Republic of China." According to the DPP's own definition, anyone who is a Republic of China citizen is "Taiwanese." According to the Republic of China Constitution meanwhile, everyone who is Taiwanese, i.e., a Chinese citizen living in the Province of Taiwan, is also a Republic of China citizen.

Frank Hsieh and Ma Ying-jeou both have Republic of China ID cards. If Frank Hsieh is Taiwanese, then so is Ma Ying-jeou. The DPP and the Kuomintang (KMT) are both legally registered Republic of China political parties. If the DPP is a "native political party" then the KMT is not a "foreign political party." By the same token, those who support Frank Hsieh and the DPP are Republic of China citizens, and Taiwanese. Those who support Ma Ying-jeou and the KMT are also Republic of China citizens, and also "Taiwanese."

The criminal code states that any attempt to revoke a person's Republic of China citizenship, i.e., deprive him of the right to be "Taiwanese," must be done according to due process, within a court of law. Frank Hsieh may not rule that anyone is not Taiwanese. Ma Ying-jeou may not rule that anyone is not a Republic of China citizen. Only on such a foundation, can we talk about democratic politics, the rule of law, and party politics. After all, we are supposed to be implementing constitutional republicanism, multiparty democracy, and free and fair elections. We are not supposed to be reenacting the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. No one should be able to characterize others as members of the "five blacklisted categories" or as "counter-revolutionaries." Partisan competition under constitutional republicanism should not emulate political struggles in Nazi Germany. No one should be able to characterize themselves as "Taiwan's Aryans" and others as "Taiwan's Jews."

In fact, numerous experts have warned that Taiwan's democracy and partisan politics have displayed Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and Nazi characteristics. Frank Hsieh ought to be aware of this danger, since he opposed a "civil war over democracy" and advocated "reconciliation and coexistence." The fundamental distinction between democratic elections and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution or political struggles in Nazi Germany, is that the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution denied other people's equal rights as citizens, and Nazism went even further by denying other people's equal rights as human beings. Look at someone the wrong way on today's Taiwan and he can dismiss you as "Not Taiwanese," denounce you as a "Chinese pig," and even deny you the status of a human being. Compete against him for political office and he can denounce you as the representative of an "alien political authority." Point to his unwillingness to abide by the constitution, and he will blame the same constitution he amended as "defective." Point to his incompetence at governing the nation, and he will blame the Republic of China and demand the establishment of a Republic of Taiwan. Point to how he has torn Taiwan to pieces, and he will say that "Taiwan is not a normal country."

Allegations such as these have no constitutional or legal basis. They have not been subjected to due process in a court of law. Chen Shui-bian need only say "Four Imperatives and One Non-issue," and the Republic of China becomes something to be exterminated as soon as possible. Yu Hsi-kuen need only say "Shih Ming-teh is a Chinese Communist Party fellow traveller," and Shih Ming-teh has lost his right to be Taiwanese. Frank Hsieh need only say that "Ma Ying-jeou represents an alien political authority," and Ma Ying-jeou and all his supporters have become "Non-Taiwanese." According to such standards, Chiang Ching-kuo, Sun Yun-suan, Li Kuo-ting are all Chinese Communist Party fellow travelers, all "traitors to Taiwan."

The distinctions made today between so-called "Taiwanese" and "Non-Taiwanese" are not racial differences or differences based on blood relations. They are political labels. What the DPP's political labels peddle is this: Support Taiwan independence, and you are Taiwanese. Oppose Taiwan independence, and you are not Taiwanese. Support the DPP, and you are Taiwanese. Oppose the DPP, and you are not Taiwanese. Support the corrupt Chen Shui-bian, and you are Taiwanese. Oppose him, and you are not Taiwanese. Support Frank Hsieh for president, and you are Taiwanese. Support Ma Ying-jeou, and you are not Taiwanese, you are a Chinese Communist Party fellow traveler, a "traitor to Taiwan."

This kind of demagoguery will transform any so-called "civil war over democracy" into a "conflict between enemy nations." To invoke Frank Hsieh's own language, not only is Taiwan's way is not the way of the Bodhisattva, Taiwan has become a Roman Coliseum. Taiwan has been divided into two nations, one a so-called "native political authority" and the other a so-called "alien political authority." Taiwan has become the "lowest rung of hell," without any concept of what it means to be a citizen. Republic of China citizens do not approve of a Republic of Taiwan. Republic of Taiwan citizens want to overthrow the Republic of China. As a result, all Taiwanese have lost their rights as citizens. This kind of demagoguery is not merely dividing the country. It is emptying the term "citizenship," of any and all meaning. Twenty-three million people have become lost souls without a national identity, hating each other, killing each other. Is this the road to heaven, or is this the road to hell?

The upcoming election is supposed to be competition between political parties, carried out within the political framework of a constitutional republic. It is not supposed to be a reenactment of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Nor is is supposed to be a reenactment of the political struggles within Nazi Germany. Everyone is a citizen of the Republic of China. Everyone, according to the DPP's own disingenuous definition of the Republic of China, is "Taiwanese." Everyone is equal. No one may deprive anyone else of the right to be "Taiwanese." No one may deprive anyone else of the right to be a citizen of the Republic of China.

Frank Hsieh has said that he advocates reconciliation and coexistence. Twenty-three million "Taiwanese" expect him to practice what he preaches, to respect the right of every "Taiwanese" to be "Taiwanese."

和解共生：每個台灣人皆有作台灣人的權利！
【聯合報╱社論】
2007.07.18 04:12 am

謝長廷主張和解共生。因此國人可以對他有一最起碼的期待，希望他能尊重每一個台灣人都有作為台灣人的權利。

民進黨說：台灣是一個主權獨立的國家，現在的名字叫中華民國。即使依此定義，則所有中華民國國民皆是台灣人，所有台灣人亦是中華民國國民。

謝 長廷與馬英九所持同是中華民國國民身分證，若謝長廷是台灣人，馬英九當然也是。民進黨與中國國民黨皆註冊為中華民國的政黨，若民進黨是「本土政黨」，國民 黨亦不是「外來政黨」。同理，支持謝長廷與支持民進黨者是中華民國國民，是台灣人；則支持馬英九與支持國民黨者亦是中華民國國民，是台灣人。

罪 刑法定，若要褫奪任何人作為中華民國國民的資格，或剝奪其作為台灣人的權利，即必須根據明文的法律，經由法院的判決始可。謝長廷不可逕自宣判任何人不是台 灣人，馬英九亦不可逕自宣判任何人不是中華民國國民。唯有在此一起碼的基礎上，始能談民主政治、法治政治，與政黨政治。畢竟，我們現在進行的是在民主憲政 下政黨競爭的平等選舉，而不是文化大革命，因此沒有人可以被打成黑五類或反革命分子；民主憲政下的政黨競爭也不是納粹運動，因此沒有人可以自封為「台灣的 亞利安人」，亦沒有人可以被打成「台灣的猶太人」。

其實，近年有極多的專家學者警告指出，台灣的民主憲政與政黨政治，已有文革化及納粹運 動化的傾向。謝長廷對此頗有警覺，因此他反對「民主內戰」，主張和解共生。民主選舉與文革及納粹運動的根本不同之處，即在文革否定了他人作為「國民」的平 等權利，納粹運動則甚至否定他人作為「人」的權利。現在的問題是，台灣的政治危機已近乎此：看不順眼就說你不是台灣人，甚至稱你「中國豬」而否定你是 「人」；與你競選就指你是「外來政權」；不肯行憲守憲就說自己修的憲法是烏魯木齊；無能治理國家就否定中華民國而揚言另建台灣共和國；自己把台灣撕扯得四 分五裂然後就說台灣不是一個正常的國家。

以上這些「宣判」，皆沒有憲法或法律的根據，亦未經法院依正當程序作出判決。只消陳水扁說「四要 一沒有」，「中華民國」就成了必欲滅之而後快；只消游錫?說施明德是中共同路人，施明德就失去了作為台灣人的權利；如今又聞謝長廷指馬英九為「外來政 權」，馬英九及其支持者亦皆成了「非台灣人」。若依這個標準，蔣經國、孫運璿、李國鼎等亦皆是中共同路人，也都是賣台集團。

因為，如今所 謂「台灣人／非台灣人」的區別標準，根本不在種族與血緣的差異，而完全是一種政治標籤。民進黨批發的政治標籤無非：支持台獨，就是台灣人；不支持台獨，就 不是台灣人。支持民進黨，就是台灣人；不支持就不是。支持貪腐的陳水扁，就是台灣人；不支持就不是。支持謝長廷選總統，就是台灣人；支持馬英九就不是台灣 人，就是中共同路人，就是賣台集團。

這樣的政治操作，將使「民主內戰」變質為「敵國交戰」。若用謝長廷的語言來說，台灣非但不是菩薩道， 簡直已成修羅場。台灣不僅已被分裂成兩個國家「本土政權／外來政權」，甚至台灣亦將惡質化為沒有「國民」的阿鼻地獄；中華民國國民不認同台灣共和國，台灣 共和國國民欲推翻中華民國，於是所有的台灣人皆失去了作為「國民」的身分與權利。這樣的政治操作，不僅是在分裂國家，更簡直欲使「國民」的身分與內涵徹底 空洞化與虛無化。二千三百萬人如同喪失國家認同及國民內涵的冤魂，相互仇恨，相互殘殺。試問：這究竟是天堂菩薩道，或其實是地獄修羅場？

這次選舉是在民主憲政下進行的政黨競爭，不是文革，也不是納粹運動；每一個人都是平等的中華民國國民，每一個人都是平等的台灣人，任何人皆不可剝奪任何人作為中華民國國民與作為台灣人的權利。

謝長廷主張和解共生，理應期待他為二千三百萬台灣人作出實踐其理念的正確示範：尊重每一個台灣人作台灣人的權利！