Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

The Question of Taiwan's Discourse and Who Should Control it?

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

"Until the lions have historians, the tales of the hunt will always glorify the hunter." This African proverb reflects Taiwan's problem with its history and experience as it seeks to establish its own identity and imagined community. More often than not in the past, it has been the outside "hunters," the colonials, and economic exploiters and opportunists who have controlled the discourse on Taiwan, and portrayed it, in Edward Said's terminology, as an "imagined geography" to suit there needs. But now all that has changed. With the end of Martial Law (1987) and the ability of Taiwanese to democratically elect their Legislators (1992) and President (1996), the Taiwanese lions are free to give their side of the story.

Chinese police beats Tibetan monk to death

Phayul.com

Dead body of Norpa Yonten who was killed in Chinese police firings on January 23, 2012 in Dragko.

DHARAMSHALA, June 2: Four months after torturing a Tibetan monk to death for his alleged role in a peaceful protest, Chinese authorities in eastern Tibet recently revealed that the monk was no more.

Tsering Gyaltsen, 40 from Kham Dragko monastery was arrested on February 9, following the mass protests in Dragko on January 23.

Ma needs a lesson in democratic principles

Allen Houng 洪裕宏

Only four months after his re-election and before his re-inauguration on May 20, President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) approval rate dropped to less than 20 percent. Everyone is angry with him, regardless of whether they voted for him in the election.

These angry people have one simple demand: They want to be able to make enough money to achieve a basic standard of living.

Doctors say imprisoned Chen Shui-bian seriously ill as ROC alleges new charges

Michael Richardson

Chen Shui-bian visited Washington D.C. when he was Mayor of Taipei
Photo credit: Getty

Chen Shui-bian, the imprisoned former President of the Republic of China in-exile, is seriously ill say two doctors who have examined Chen. Ma Ying-jeou, Chen’s successor, reinstated to a second term in office last week, has refused to grant a medical parole. Meanwhile, Barack Obama remains silent on Chen’s plight in spite of the San Francisco Peace Treaty and the Taiwan Relations Act which govern the United States relationship to the people of Taiwan.

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