Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Tragedy could bring ray of hope

J. Michael Cole 寇謐將

The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama was expected to arrive last night and visit southern Taiwan to bring comfort to the victims of Typhoon Morakot.

Despite the fact the Presidential Office indicated on Friday that he would not meet President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) during his visit, the Dalai Lama’s arrival is good news.

Ma Ying-jeou, the Dalai Lama, and Taiwan Part II, When is the Timing Right?

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

In 2008, the Dalai Lama had expressed interest in coming to Taiwan, but President Ma Ying-jeou refused him entry saying that the "timing was not right." While one might puzzle over when and why the timing would ever be right or not right for an internationally known religious leader and man of peace to visit a country, most assumed that Ma in typical toady fashion did not want to "offend" the People's Republic of China (PRC). Certainly, Ma did need China at this time. He had made a campaign promise to raise the country's growth rate from 5 per cent to 6 per cent. Regrettably in Ma's first year in office the growth rate had dropped to 3 per cent and China was the only trick that the one-trick pony had in his bag to salvage Taiwan's economy.

US, PRC maneuvers post-Morakot

HoonTing 雲程

In the past, rich or influential people used to keep a small platform next to the entrance to their house to help people get off their horses. President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) initial rejection of foreign aid in the aftermath of Typhoon Morakot and his interaction with the US and China made me think of this platform, which was built to help people get off their high horses.

Ma Ying-jeou, the Dalai Lama and Taiwan Part I: Whose Side is Ma on?

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

After Taiwan's government issued a visa to allow the Dalai Lama to visit Taiwan, the People's Republic of China (PRC) quickly responded with a condemnation of the action. It had all along condemned any visit by the Dalai Lama regardless of motive, even religious or compassionate. But this time the PRC went further. Though it was the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) led government that granted the visa, the PRC blamed the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for the action, saying, "The DPP's evil motives will definitely be opposed by compatriots from both sides of the Taiwan Strait."

Ma's force struck the public television three days after Typhoon Morakot hit

Claudia Jean

Former Legislator, Lin Cho-shui had an article in the Liberty Times on 23 August, explaining how pro-Ma 'experts' in Public Television Service tried to push the current PTS president out.

Lin explained that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) have always tried to gain total control over the PTS since Ma took office in 2008. In October 2008, they used the fact that two board directors resigned to push for a re-election of the board of directors. This was actually against the PTS law. When their attempt failed, they increased the number of directors and filled those positions with some KMT legislators.

Ethnicity crucial to response to Morakot

Paul Lin 林保華

“High class Mainlander” Kuo Kuan-ying (郭冠英) has once again given us an earful of his preposterous opinions, this time in connection to the disaster relief effort in southern Taiwan. This man is not worth the effort and the ink, but a discussion about the effects on the disaster relief of the ethnic identification issue that he plays on is.

At a presidential press conference on Aug. 18, Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-min (陳肇敏) said he was Taiwanese and then washed his hands of responsibility for the weak disaster response. This awkward statement is a reflection of his views on ethnicity. Humanitarianism is a universal value, so what does ethnicity have to do with it? Small wonder that he is insensitive to the disaster.

More Articles...