The Flag at the World Games: Not a Political Tool

The Flag at the World Games: Not a Political Tool
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
July 2, 2009

The 2009 World Games will open in Kaohsiung on the 16th of this month. The public may bring Republic of China flags onto the grounds and cheer for Republic of China competitors. This is a highly sensitive situation for an international sports arena. It is also a litmus test for cross-Strait relations.

The World Games is not an Olympic event. But Taipei's membership in the World Games conforms to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) model. During last year's World Games Theme Song Conference, the Kaohsiung Municipal Government hung Republic of China flags on the podium. International World Games Association Chairman Ron Froehlich took one look at the arrangement and walked out. But the latest reports indicate that the concerned parties have reached a consensus. The World Games flags will be displayed according to IOC rules. But this will not apply to audience members' personal flags. This is a wise decision. It is also the only feasible solution. After all, the world's eyes are on us, the host. Is it really possible to prevent audience members from bringing their own Republic of China flags?

In the past, even during international events we hosted, such as baseball games, Beijing would protest if audience members waved Republic of China flags. This provoked considerable controversy. In September 2007, it was rumored that Beijing would not allow the Olympic Torch to come to Taiwan because people lining the roadsides might wave Republic of China flags. This also provoked considerable controversy. The Olympic Torch never made it to Taiwan.

In the past, frequent disputes would erupt over the display of flags in sports arenas. Two years ago Chan Yung-ran participated in the Australian Open. Mainland sports fans snatched Republic of China flags from our cheerleaders and snapped them in two. But as people have noted, the situation is changing. For example, in March of this year, at the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo, audience members waved the Republic of China national flag, but Beijing did not lodge any protest.

We hope the Beijing authorities have changed their thinking and their methods. The decades long bilateral dispute over flags, has its roots in the "zero-sum" KMT vs. CCP political standoff. It has left lingering resentments among the public on both sides. The more Beijing suppressed the Republic of China in the international arena, the more it attempted to shut out the Republic of China flag and the Republic of China name, the more resentful and angry the public on Taiwan felt about a cross-Strait situation that kept the two sides in a perpetual state of limbo. In fact, cross-strait disputes about flags should be dealt with separately, apart from the issue of national identity, as understood by the public on both sides. Today the World Games has separated the issues. The World Games will adopt the IOC model. But audience members will be allowed to bring their own flags. This kind of buffer is essential. It is the only solution to the dilemma. Otherwise, Beijing will be find it impossible to change reality, but merely alienate the public on Taiwan. It will also find it hard to gain international sympathy.

From any point of view, if Beijing cannot even tolerate the appearance of the Republic of China flag among audience members at international sports events, how can it possibly uphold the cross-Strait status quo? When Mainland tourists first arrived on Taiwan, they were forbidden to stand beneath the Republic of China flag. Today Mainland tourists arrive on Taiwan. They take snapshots of themselves in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the Republic of China flag. It has become their idealized vision of a future in which the two sides are once again members of the same family. Times have changed. The ice in the Taiwan Strait is melting. The battle over flags has yet reach a resolution. But at least it now has a buffer. The Kaohsiung World Games is the beginning of this new understanding.

The Kaohsiung World Games will not forbid audience members from waving Republic of China flags. Presumably this involves a tacit understanding among the World Games authorities, Beijing, and Taipei. If so, the World Games will be a rare opportunity for the Republic of China to host an international sporting event. It will also be an important milestone in cross-Strait interaction. All citizens should cherish this opportunity. As much as possible, flags should be treated as a natural expression of public sentiment. They should not become a tool for cross-Strait and Blue vs. Green political struggles. The World Games will be an important test. We hope it will encourage cross-Strait progress, and not become a pretext for political reaction.

In particular, this event is a test for the DPP and the Green Camp. The Democratic Progressive Party has long considered the Republic of China flag a pair of worn out shoes. But with the Kaohsiung World Games, it has acquired a new enthusiasm for the flag. It is urging the public to wave the flag, to wear ROC flag shirts. It is even urging President Ma to wear an ROC flag shirt to the games. The Democratic Progressive Party has long repudiated the Republic of China. The World Games in Kaohsiung has inspired the DPP to identify enthusiastically with the Republic of China. This is a promising development. The public will be pleased to see the Republic of China flag appear in public meetings and processions held by the DPP. But the DPP must not attempt to exploit the audience members' flags. It must not attempt to treat them as grist for the cross-Strait and Blue vs. Green mill. It must not attempt to turn a sports arena into a political stage. If it attempts to use the occasion for rabble-rousing, then it will be contemptible beyond belief.

If the parties concerned act in good faith and with restraint, they can have a significant impact on domestic and cross-Strait harmony. The public is unwilling to allow political vultures exploit or degrade the Republic of China flag.

讓世運看得見國旗，別拿它當鬥爭工具
【聯合報╱社論】
2009.07.02 02:21 am

二○○九高雄世運十六日揭幕，民眾可以帶著國旗進場為台灣選手加油。這非但是國際運動場上相當敏感的政治景象，也可謂是兩岸關係的水溫測試器。

世運會雖非奧運機構，但在台灣的會籍問題上仍採奧會模式。去年在世運會主題歌曲發布會上，因高雄市政府在主席台上掛了國旗，國際世運會協會總會長朗佛契見狀掉頭就走。然而，最新的消息顯示，有關各方似已取得共識：大會的旗幟遵照奧會模式，但不干預觀眾持旗。這是一個明智的決定，也是唯一可能執行的準則。畢竟這是全球矚目的台灣主場，若強制觀眾不准持國旗，豈有可能執行？

過去，即使在台灣主場的國際賽事，如棒球賽，北京方面對觀眾持國旗亦屢提抗議，因此鬧出許多爭議；二○○七年九月，更傳出北京不准奧運聖火來台時沿路觀眾持國旗，果然掀起軒然大波，終致聖火未能來台。

過去在競技場上，關於旗幟的爭執屢見不鮮。兩年前詹詠然參加澳洲網球公開賽，甚至發生大陸球迷搶奪我啦啦隊手上國旗並折斷旗桿的事件。然而，許多國人也注意到，情勢似乎漸有改變，例如今年三月東京的世界棒球經典賽，觀眾席上出現青天白日滿地紅的國旗，未聞政治抗議。

我們希望其中確實存在著北京當局在思考及方法上的調整。兩岸數十年的旗幟之爭，是源於國共「漢賊不兩立」的政治共業，卻也造成兩岸人民莫大的心結。不僅如此，北京愈是在國際上打壓、封殺中華民國的旗號，就愈使台灣人民對兩岸間聯不起來、又斷不了的關係感到怨艾與憤恨。其實，兩岸政治對立的旗幟之爭，與兩岸人民的政治認同應有區隔處理的空間。如今世運會「大會採奧會模式／觀眾自主持旗」的區隔，正是一個必須存在的緩衝空間，也是非如此不能執行的現實方法。否則，北京不但未能改變這面旗幟仍然存在的事實，且等於是與全體台灣人民的自尊與感情為敵，恐也難見容於國際。

從任何角度看，北京若連運動場上的觀眾席也不容中華民國國旗出現，海峽兩岸的「現狀」將如何維持？試想，早年大陸訪客來台，站在青天白日旗下是絕對的禁忌；而如今陸客來台觀光，在中正紀念堂前與國旗合影，卻已變成他們想像兩岸一家的最佳場景。時空遷移，兩岸融冰，旗幟之戰就算不能立即產生新論述，至少也該畫出一個緩衝地帶，不是嗎？這次高雄世運正是這個新思維的發起處。

我們認為，高雄世運「不干預觀眾持旗」，應是出自包括世運當局、北京及台灣方面的某種協議或默契。倘係如此，此次世運非但是台灣難得主辦的國際運動盛典，也將成為兩岸互動的重要里程碑。全體國人理應珍惜這個機遇，盡量讓旗幟成為自然而然的社會情感流露，而切勿使之成為操作兩岸鬥爭及藍綠鬥爭的工具。因為，這次世運會將是一個非常重要的測試器，我們希望其效應有利於未來發展，而不要演成各方又走回頭路的藉口。

此一事件對民進黨及綠營尤其是一考驗。一向視國旗如敝屣的民進黨，最近為了高雄世運大發「國旗熱」，鼓吹民眾拿國旗、穿國旗裝，甚至主張馬總統穿「國旗裝」出席。如果因高雄市舉辦世運，可使一向否定中華民國的民進黨有了積極的國家認同，這樣的發展讓人期待，國人當亦樂見未來能看到國旗也出現在民進黨的集會遊行中。但是，綠營最好不要將觀眾席上的國旗，操作成兩岸鬥爭及藍綠鬥爭的廉價題材；亦即不要把一場運動賽事變成政治舞台，想要從中玩弄政爭情緒，那就真是居心叵測了。

此事若能在各方的善意與節制中自然而然地體現，對台灣內部及兩岸關係皆有重大意義。國人當不願見任何政治禿鷹以操作國旗而做出傷害國旗的事！