Remembering Year 99, Welcoming Year 100

Remembering Year 99, Welcoming Year 100
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
December 31, 2010

Today is the last day of the 99th year of the Republic of China. Tomorrow is first day of the Republic of China centennial.

This newspaper is holding a "2101 Poll." Readers are invited to phone in and vote on "A Record of Major Events," or 13 major events that occurred this year,

This newspaper invited four experts to suggest five major events each. Among these events, "ECFA is signed" and "Ah-Bian and Ah-Cheng are imprisoned for corruption" received votes from all four. The signing of ECFA ranked number one. It received three votes for first place, and one vote for second place. Ah-Bian and Ah-Cheng Jane being imprisoned ranked second place. It received one vote for first place, one vote for second place, and two votes for fifth place. One might say that the theme for the 99th Year of the Republic of China was the reestablishment of cross-Strait relations and the restoration of justice.

ECFA has been signed. It was undoubtedly one of the most important events of the year. On January 26, representatives from Taipei and Beijing met in Beijing and held their first formal consultation on the "cross-strait economic cooperation agreement" (ECFA). On June 29, the agreement was formally signed in Chongqing. By the end of the year, the "cross-strait economic cooperation committee" had been formed. This was the biggest breakthrough in six decades of cross-Strait economic and trade relations. It was also an experiment in cross-Strait political relations. ECFA will officially go into effect tomorrow, on New Year's Day. Meanwhile the ruling and opposition parties on Taiwan remain deadlocked over "whether there is a 1992 consensus" and "whether the 1992 consensus should be recognized."

The 13 "major events" include events that directly or indirectly affect cross-Strait relations. For example, Liu Xiaopo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This underscored freedom and democracy -- the main difference between the two sides. Another was the Shanghai World Expo. It underscored "the rise of [Mainland] China" and of course affected attitudes toward cross-Strait relations. The North and South Korean Tianan ship incident closely mirrored cross-Strait relations. The debt crisis in Europe was a continuation of the 2008 financial crisis. It forced the public on Taiwan to contemplate the opportunities and risks involved in cross-Strait relations and globalization. The Taipei Flora Exposition invited comparision with the Shanghai World Expo, and symbolized the rivalry between the two sides.

We look forward to tomorrow, and welcome the Republic of China centennial. The 1992 consensus and ECFA have made cross-Strait economic and trade relations and symbiotic win/win "peaceful development" possible. Yet cross-Strait relations remain mired in political controversy over whether they should be recognized.

Ah-Bian and Ah-Cheng have been imprisoned for corruption. Chen Shui-bian was imprisoned on December 2. This was an important step in the judicial process. During the trial however, the issue of "presidential authority" came up. This underscored the failure of seven constitutional amendments. During the year end five cities elections, Chen Shui-bian's "one country each side connection" scored a remarkable victory. This underscored the struggle between justice and populist politics.

In 2008, the ROC underwent a second change in ruling parties. The Chen corruption trial went on. The public had high expectations. They wanted an independent judiciary and social justice. Huang Shi-ming was included in the 13 major events. As Prosecutor General he carried out the death penalty, executing four convicts in one night, by firing squad. This also involved attitudes regarding justice system reform and social justice. Huang Shi-ming stood out because Chen Tsung-ming, Morley Shih, Lu Jen-fa, Yeh Sheng-mao, Cheng Chung-mo and their ilk shattered public faith in the justice system. Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu carried out four death sentences in a single night. He did so because his predecessor Wang Ching-feng opposed the death penalty, postponed the executions, and was forced to resign.

Chen family corruption inflicted untold damage on public morals and on the nation's justice system. On Taiwan, the justice system remains riddled with defects. These defects are not confined to disputes over the Chen family corruption case. The 99th year of the Republic of China is drawing to a close. The public has heightened expectations about housing. The fairness of health care reform has become a point of controversy. School bullying incidents have shocked the nation. One elderly Mr. Wang crucified one elderly Mrs. Wang. A doctoral candidate stood in the way of an ambulance and flipped people the bird, Eight men and women used "ten torture methods" to torture a friend, and were sentenced to 12 years in prison. These major and minor news events were not included in the 13 major events. They happened during the final days of of the year. They suggest that an increasingly M-shaped society brims over with injustice and hostility. These injustices must be corrected by a robust educational system.

We look forward to the Republic of China centennial. People on Taiwan seek a better tomorrow. They are taking two main directions. One. They are reestablishing cross-Strait relations. Politically, they are upholding the 1992 consensus, and "one China, different interpretations." Economically, they are upholding ECFA, which ensures a mutually beneficial, win-win situation for both sides. This is how it must be. Otherwise Taiwan cannot compete in a globalized marketplace. It cannot enjoy the peace and stability required for survival and development. Two. They are restoring social justice. The Chen family corruption case still has the potential to divide society. Politicians, particularly the Democratic Progressive Party, must heal society's wounds. Our society is filled with injustice and hostility. Society's values have been grossly distorted. The ruling and opposition parties must work together. They must reform the justice system and repair the many gaps in the social system.

回憶九九 迎向一百
【聯合報╱社論】
2010.12.31 02:41 am

今天是中華民國九十九年除夕，明天是中華民國一百年元旦。

本報正在舉辦「票選二○一○年」的活動，請讀者對本報今年「記錄大事件／典藏優質報」所選出的十三則大事件進行電話排序投票。

活動開跑前，本報邀請了四位專家學者選出他們認知上的「五大事件」。其中，「簽署ＥＣＦＡ」與「扁珍貪汙定讞入獄」皆獲全額四票；而又以簽署ＥＣＦＡ居首（三票第一、一票第二），扁珍定讞居次（一票第一、一票第四、兩票第五）。或許可說，中華民國九十九年的歷史主軸動線正是：重建兩岸關係，修補社會正義。

ＥＣＦＡ完成簽署，無疑是今年最重大的事件。一月二十六日兩岸代表在北京進行《兩岸經濟合作協議》（ＥＣＦＡ）第一次正式協商，至六月二十九日在重慶正式簽署，到了年底「兩岸經濟合作委員會」已呼之欲出。此一發展，非但是六十年來兩岸經貿關係的大突破，實際上亦是兩岸政治關係的新試驗；而正當ＥＣＦＡ將在明日元旦正式上路實施之際，朝野兩黨卻仍為「有無九二共識」、「是否承認九二共識」相持不下。

在十三則「典藏事件」中，另有多則也直接或間接與兩岸有關。例如，劉曉波獲諾貝爾和平獎；顯示兩岸的主要歧異是在自由民主上的分野。又如，上海世博開幕，顯示「中國崛起」，當然也牽動兩岸思維。再如，南北韓天安艦事件，正是兩岸關係的對照。至於歐債風暴，則是延續○八年的金融海嘯，使台灣思考兩岸關係在全球化的機會與風險。台北花博開幕，亦有與上海世博對比而具兩岸形象角力的象徵意義。

瞻望明天，迎向民國一百年，兩岸關係仍將在「承不承認九二共識」的政治爭議，及以ＥＣＦＡ為主軸的兩岸經貿現實中，追求兩岸雙贏共生的「和平發展」。

扁珍夫婦貪汙定讞，且陳水扁已於十二月二日入監服刑，這是重大無比的司法進程。然而，在審判中出現的「總統權限」的爭議，反映了七次修憲的失敗；而在年底的五都選舉中，陳水扁的「一邊一國連線」獲得了顯著的勝利，則顯示了司法正義與民粹政治的角力。

自二○○八政黨輪替以來，隨著扁案審判的發展，民間對司法獨立及社會正義的期望甚高。另在十三則「典藏事件」中，黃世銘獲提名出任檢察總長及執行死刑一夜槍決四人，亦與民間對司法改革及社會正義的思考有關。黃世銘出線，是因陳聰明、施茂林、盧仁發、葉盛茂、城仲模等司法首長大傷民心；而法務部長曾勇夫一夜執行四個死刑，則是因前任王清峰反對死刑且延宕執行而被迫辭職所致。

扁案對社會道德及國家正義的傷害無與倫比，而台灣在社會正義上的缺陷則不止是扁案及司法爭議而已。在民國九十九年即將結尾之際，對社會住宅的期待升高、健保改革的公平性成為輿論焦點、校園霸凌事件令人怵目驚心、王老先生釘死了王老太太、博士生阻擋救護車比中指、八名男女用「十大酷刑」凌虐友人被求刑十二年……。這些大大小小的新聞，皆不在十三則「典藏事件」中，卻密集地發生在歲末年終之際，在在顯示這個愈來愈Ｍ型的社會似乎充滿了不平與戾氣，必須從體制上及教育上大力修補社會正義。

迎向民國一百年，台灣為了追求更美好的明天，主要的努力方向，仍然是這兩大主軸。一、重建兩岸關係：在政治上維持「九二共識／一中各表」，在經濟上循ＥＣＦＡ的思維促進兩岸互利雙贏；非如此，台灣不能在全球化的競爭中獲得一個和平穩定的生存發展基礎；二、修補社會正義：扁案仍是撕裂社會的潛在因素，尚須政治人物（尤其是民進黨）來療傷止痛；至於對這個充滿不平與戾氣且價值觀念扭曲的社會，除了司法改革，仍有許多在社會公平正義上的缺口，亟待朝野同心協力修補。