Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Reform key to creation of national structure

Lee Min-yung 李敏勇

In 1996, Taiwan held its first direct presidential election. As a native Taiwanese and a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), then-president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) played a key role in the nation’s transition to democracy. This offered an opportunity for the KMT to transform itself into a “Taiwanese Nationalist Party” and for the Republic of China (ROC) to gain a new lease on life here in Taiwan.

If Taiwan could have had a new constitution as a result, the ROC in exile would have entered history, putting an end to the period between 1949 and 1996, although, since the writing and implementation of a new constitution would take some time, that would perhaps not have happened until 2000.

Student protesters target K-12 agency

Taipei Times

Students protesting against the government’s high-school curriculum guideline changes force open a shutter at the K-12 Education Administration building in Taipei yesterday afternoon.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times

Students forced their way into the K-12 Education Administration building in Taipei yesterday, promising further action by the end of the week if controversial high-school curriculum guidelines are not withdrawn.

About 50 students gathered at the agency’s building — part of the Ministry of Education — at about 3pm, seeking to present their demands to agency officials.

General Douglas MacArthur and the Taiwan Passport Controversy

twclarify

General Douglas MacArthur did not agree that the territorial sovereignty of Taiwan was transferred to China on Oct. 25, 1945, or that the native Taiwanese people were correctly classified as having the nationality of "Republic of China."

Nearly 65 years after General MacArthur made these remarks, the native Taiwanese are now beginning to wake up to the reality that their nationality status is incorrect, and that the mistreatment which they receive in the international community is (in large part) due to their misclassification as ROC Chinese.

Experts slam ministry’s WWII videos

Taipei Times

Government-funded videos marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II portrayed a “historically inaccurate” version of the transfer of Taiwanese sovereignty after the war and failed to review the history “from a Taiwan-centered perspective,” a National Chengchi University professor of Taiwanese history said yesterday.

As part of the government’s year-long plan to publicize the role of the Republic of China’s (ROC) armed forces and government in World War II, five videos commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were posted on the “Trending Taiwan” YouTube channel, leading to debate among people who watched them.

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