Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Peace agreement nothing but a trap

Paul Lin 林保華

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has hit a snag in his re-election campaign with talk of a cross-strait peace agreement revealing his intentions to “replace independence with gradual reunification.”

No one is opposed to peace, but no one wants it to come at the price of having to serve under a new dictatorial regime. Are we to suppose that we can live in peace and security if we become part of China? When we talk about cross-strait peace, it is important to keep an eye on the differences between the system we live under and that in China.

INTERVIEW: Learning the bitter lessons of Chinese occupation

Taipei Times

Lamenting China’s occupation of his homeland while recounting how Beijing has exploited his people and tried to destroy their culture, Japan Uyghur Association chairman Ilham Mahmut recounted how he become an activist for the independence of East Turkestan — now under Chinese rule as Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region — and urged Taiwanese to be cautious when dealing with China to avoid history repeating itself.

“When you try to deal with the Chinese, it is important to remember that the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] government could make hundreds or thousands of beautiful promises, but none of those will ever be realized,” Ilham told the Taipei Times in an interview on Thursday in Taipei.

Ma is so unpopular because he is, well, Ma

Joe Doufu 醜豆腐

The Past few weeks have been like a Neocon’s comeback convention in Taipei with visits from celebrated warmongers, including former US secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld and former World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz. It’s very easy to talk trash about these guys, but when you’re as isolated as Taiwan is, you need all the friends you can get — even if they are evil.

A few friends of mine mix in higher circles and one of them had the displeasure of dining with the Wolf while he was visiting — he even survived to tell the tale. Wolfowitz apparently told my buddy over burgers that Washington policy wonks couldn’t understand why President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is so unpopular, what with increased cross-strait stability and stable economic growth during his four years in office.

"Dump Ma to Save Taiwan," Why These Words Are Gaining Momentum I

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

As the January elections approach, more and more Taiwanese are beginning to listen to what Lee Teng-hui had said some time ago. "It is time to dump Ma to save Taiwan." Dump Ma? Yes that is what was said, but why.

Well first of all, Taiwanese need to examine just what Taiwan has become under the man who more and more are calling the "phony pony." Take for example how Ma keeps pushing China as the only way he can think of trying to salvage his failed forecast of 6-3-3. In Ma's efforts to cozy up to China, National Taiwan University (NTU) has stopped using the word National when it holds joint conferences with Chinese schools and/or cooperates on academic work.

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