Taiwan Blog Feed

The US Postal Service annexes Taiwan to China. Was there a change in policy I missed?

The voucher plan details are slowly emerging, showing how the government plans to shower cash all over Taiwan....

Under the plan, by Lunar New Year on Jan. 24 each citizen can receive vouchers worth a total of NT$3,600 from his or her household registration office by showing documents that prove citizenship.

The expiration date of the vouchers will be Dec. 31 next year, while the face amount of each voucher note has yet to be determined.

Liu said that the program did not exclude the wealthy because it is designed to “stimulate more consumption to get the economy going” and “not to provide social assistance.”

“Wealthy people or people who are not in need of the vouchers can get a tax break by donating the vouchers to charities,” Liu said.

The government expected to see an increase of 0.64 percent in next year’s GDP based on the assumption that all the vouchers are used to purchase goods and services and are not converted to cash and deposited in bank accounts.

We taxpayers but non-citizens cannot get one. Noting that the voucher plan has to get around laws that sensibly limit public debt to capital expenditures -- in other words, debt that creates useful stuff. One legislator noted:

The KMT administration has already allocated NT$300 billion to source its 12 major construction projects in debt financing, and it proposed an NT$82.9 billion budget for the coupon plan, so the government will have around NT$400 billion in debt financing only six months in office, Tsai said.

A number of groups, including the DPP, have argued that a cash gift or tax credit might be better idea. The vouchers are only usable at legally registered businesses, so many small businesses will be left in the cold. The Taipei Times pointed out:

The KMT marketed Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) as an economic wunderkind when he and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) ran for office. With Taiwan facing a serious global and domestic economic challenge, how ironic it is that tough times should feature yesterday’s men sprouting confused policies.

The other irony is that the KMT legislative caucus recently denied the Democratic Progressive Party caucus a tax cut, saying that there wasn’t enough money. Now it is saying that there is enough money — in the form of mounting debt for our children — and all this during a global financial earthquake.

Isn't it good to know "the adults are in charge"? And why are we taking on debt to spark the economy -- isn't our lurch toward China supposed to result in a rain of Chinese investment to stimulate growth? Guess the Chinese tourists are all flying Amelia Earhart Airlines.... If the KMT Administration were a fish, it would be flounder.

Even more confusing are the rules. My wife and I read with vast amusement one set of explanations from a media outlet that said you couldn't sell them (but you could give them away) while another media outlet said that there would be no problem selling them through internet auction. Could criminals use them? The rabidly Blue United Daily News posed this question as "Could Chen Shui-bian use them? -- Yes." So much for journalistic detachment.

If a stimulus is desired, a much greater effect could be had simply by spending the quatloos on infrastructure. Effects vary, but at the end of the day, infrastructure spending leaves the economy with useful things like roads, bridges, and ports that continue to generate economic activity years into the future. The voucher plan? Our kids will be paying the interest on it, years into the future.

[Taiwan]

The Wild Strawberries student movement, still ongoing, has three demands -- an apology from President Ma, resignations of the police and security chiefs, and amending of the Assembly and Parade Law. The first two are highly unlikely to occur, but the third was a possibility. A few days ago the KMT had a caucus which they billed as an "open forum" at which some "NGOs" appeared...

Although they agreed that the pre-approval system has its defects and should be replaced with a pre-notice system, many KMT lawmakers were still worried the change could bring social chaos.

“The pre-approval system could be changed to the pre-notice system, but there should still be some kind of application and check process,” KMT Legislator Wu Ching-chih (吳清池) told the public hearing. “For the sake of social stability, adequate restrictions should still be implemented, otherwise [demonstrations] may lead to anarchic situations. It’s very dangerous.”

The chairwoman of the Taipei International Cultural Exchange Association for Professional Women, Ling Yu-ying (凌瑜英), expressed strong opposition to amending the Assembly and Parade Law.

With "social opinions" like this, you can imagine the results, reported by the Wild Strawberries in their press release of Nov 18:

The Executive Yuan has raised the issue of revisions to the Assembly and Parade Law recently. However, the new version adopts a “compulsory notification system” whose content preserves restrictions including “assembling without notification is illegal”, “establishing forbidden areas”, “police have the right to alter the time, place, and form of the parade”, “the police can command dissolution of the parade without explicit standards”, and “the criminal and administrative sanctions relating to assembly”. Namely, the revision contains no practical improvements, only the change of name from “permission” to “notification”.

I am reminded of the period right after martial law was lifted, when the KMT passed a new national security law that was martial law in all but name. Hopefully the DPP and concerned KMT lawmakers can move to make meaningful revisions to the law.

Meanwhile the Strawberries, numbers dwindling, are planning to build a "strawberry tower." I stopped by the NCKU protests on Monday and was told that parents are putting lots of pressure on the students in the university not to participate. "Concerned parents" are also bombarding the counseling center with demands that the counselors do something about the "mentally ill "students demonstrating. I do know a few students whose parents encouraged them to get out and do something. Public support has been overwhelming, with many stopping by to leave donations of food and equipment. The students have become a cause of "chaos" and like any cause of distortion in the social order, the pressure gradient to conform becomes steeper as time passes. One of the many bizarre bits of fallout from the definition of order in Chinese society is that peaceful student demonstrators are a cause of "social disorder", but mad drivers and construction vehicles blocking streets are of no concern...

[Taiwan]

I just saw today on Lifehacker that Google is now hosting 10 million photos from America's first all-photography magazine: LIFE.  Naturally, I hopped over and scoured whatever old pictures they had of Taiwan, and I found some interesting stuff. 

One of the first things that struck me was the use of the fitting nomenclature used to refer to the KMT.  Throughout almost all of the photos I've found, they are referred to as "Chinese Nationalists" and not Koumingtang or KMT.  This terminology has been lost in more recent reporting on the party that still maintains power over the executive and legislature here in Taiwan, though such references do seem to be making a comeback.

I've also yet to see a photo that doesn't refer to the PRC as "Red China" or "Red Chinese."

It's also striking to see the number of photos of high level American officials in Taiwan, signs of a time long gone.  Along the same lines, I can't find any pictures of Taiwan after 1970 (when things started going sour for the Chinese Nationalist government on the international stage).  Likewise, there are also much fewer photos from China after the 1970s, but there are a few

I'd be interested in any additional information anyone might have regarding these photos.  Anything that sticks out. Also, please send me any posts or comments you have on other photos you find in the archives. 

Note on content: all information listed below the photos is straight from the LIFE archive.  All misspellings or outdated romanizations are original.  Any notes that I've made are in red.  MOREOVER, some of these images contain elements of NUDITY or DEATH.  Be advised.  

Everyone's favorite dictators

(Front row L-R) US Amb. Patrick Hurley, Gen Chiang Kai-Shek, & Communist ldr. Mao Tse Tung; (back L, Chiang Ching-Kuo, the son of Gen. Chiang) during ill-fated US attempt to negotiate between Communist and Nationalist Chinese forces.

Location:
Chungking, China

Date taken:
1945

Photographer:
Jack Wilkes

 

Propaganda moves

Physcological warfare unit using colored balloons to float propaganda, incl. flag to Chinese mainland.

Location:
Quemoy [Kinmen, 金門], China

Date taken:
August 1958

Photographer:
John Dominis

 

And in the balloon shells...

Nationalist leaflets to be dropped on main land.

Location:
Taiwan

Date taken:
August 1958

Photographer:
John Dominis

 

...and by sea, cross over from the reactionaries to the progressives

Nationalist leaflets.

Location:
Taiwan

Date taken:
August 1958

Photographer:
John Dominis

 

"Red China" bombing Kinmen

Red Chinese artillery shells hit Red Cross symbol on roof of hospital.  [While I don't remember the exact figures, Kinmen was shelled for years, sometimes on a daily basis, amounting to hundreds of thousands of shells left on the island]

Location:
Quemoy, Taiwan

Date taken:
October 1958

Photographer:
John Dominis

 

Example

Decapitated head of Communist guerrilla leader Ting Hsi-Shan executed by Chinese Nationalists hanging on wall in village 30 miles from Shanghai.

Location:
Tsingpu, China

Date taken:
February 1948

Photographer:
Jack Birns

 

 

Proof that there were once open spaces in Taipei

People walking through large portals.

Location:
Taipeh, Taiwan

Date taken:
1950

Photographer:
Carl Mydans

 

The "Coolies"

Coolies packing cart in front of a large billboards.  [The billboard is for "Three Star Toothpaste," a brand that is not surprisingly no longer around]

Location:
Formosa, China

Date taken:
1950

Photographer:
Carl Mydans

 

Homecoming for Anti-Communist soldiers

The returning of Anti-Communist prisoners passing through city streets jammed with welcoming crowd.

Location:
Taipeh, Taiwan

Date taken:
1954

Photographer:
Joseph Scherschel

[Can someone explain this?  Are these Nationalist soldiers who had been caught in the PRC and returned to Taiwan?]

 

Bath time

Girls nude bathing in sulphur hot baths.  [I'm guessing, since this is in "Taipeh," that these women are bathing in Beitou (it's encouraging to hear how much my Chinese has improved since I took this video).]

Location:
Taipeh, China

Date taken:
March 1949

Photographer:
Jack Birns

 

What'll it be?

Globe in office of Chinese President Chiang Kai-Shek in Formosa.

Location:
Taiwan

Date taken:
September 1961

Photographer:
John Dominis

[I can't find any pictures of Taiwan after 1961]

 

Then, it all changed...

Nixon In China

Pres. Richard Nixon (L) toasting w. Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai at banquet. (Image is probably flopped) [It is]

Location:
Beijing, China

Date taken:
February 22, 1972

Photographer:
John Dominis

 

Some two weeks have passed since I wrote the post asking if Taiwan is becoming a police state? It was written during the middle of ARATS Chairman Chen Yunlin’s visit to Taiwan and it focused on the actions of police during that week. I now want to look more broadly at some of the major human rights issues that have occurred in Taiwan in the past few months.

The big news in the past week has been the detention of former President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). In isolation it might seem that justice is being achieved, but Chen is yet to be formally indicted. Was it necessary for him to be detained for the investigation to proceed? Even if his detention was necessary his handcuffing certainly was not. Prosecutors have had more than two years to gather evidence in the state affairs fund case yet they have still been unable to prosecute Chen.

The former President’s detention must be seen as part of a broader pattern of the detention of DPP officials on corruption related charges. The cases of Yunlin County Commissioner Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬)and Chiayi County Commissioner Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) have also been in the news as they have gone on hunger strikes to protest their detention. Another case is that of Tainan City Councillor Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) who was swiftly given a 14 month jail sentence for an incident where he supposedly pushed ARATS Vice-Chair Zhang Mingqing.

The key issue is whether the judiciary is acting according to proper procedures or conducting a witch hunt on behalf of the KMT. It is clear that only detaining and investigating members of one party amounts to political persecution and is doing nothing to address the problem of corruption. It also seems that in Taiwan presumption of innocence is trumped by trial by media.

During the week of Chen Yunlin’s visit police acted outside the law on numerous occasions. Their actions went far beyond what was necessary to ensure the personal security of Chen Yunlin. Questions about whose orders police were acting under need to be answered.

Another issue of concern are the government interfering with the media during Chen Yunlin’s visit. The government were selective in giving media access to certain events. There were several incidents where police interfered with reporters doing their jobs. The Association of Taiwan Journalists, International Federation of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders have all expressed concern about various incidents that took place during the week.

What is also disturbing is the government’s response, or lack of, to many of these incidents. The Wild Strawberry movement’s demands for an apology from President Ma and Premier Liu and the resignation of the chiefs of the National Police and National Security Bureau are very reasonable expectations. Yet the Premier has merely remarked that everyone should forget about it in a few days. It shows that the government is arrogant and has no real concern for human rights. It is not bothered by discontent from the public and perhaps feels it can shift the blame to the DPP with rhetoric of violence and corruption.

All these incidents need to be thoroughly investigated, yet who can be trusted to conduct the investigation? The judiciary is clearly acting in the interests of the newly restored KMT party-state. This highlights the urgent need for an independent watchdog capable of monitoring the judiciary and police. Taiwan needs a Human Rights Commission that can operate without fear of government interference. It also needs human rights education for the judiciary, police and government officials.

Even worse is that events like these continue to divide Taiwanese society. Chances of reconciliation are being passed up as Taiwan continues to play by a familiar political script.  Many of these problems are rooted in the failure to achieve genuine transitional justice. For Taiwanese society to move forward human rights have to be seen as something valued and important. They are the foundation on which civil society and good government is built.

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Related posts:

• Once was a prison
• Foreign workers raise their voice
• Time to end the death penalty
• Human trafficking in Taiwan
• Links 2 June 2008

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Copyright © David Reid 2008
This feed is from the blog David on Formosa. Please respect the copyright of the author. Any questions please contact me. (Digital Fingerprint:
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Would appreciate if anyone out there could provide me with contact details (email address, web site and telephone nos. for Confucius Inn in Tainan. Heard lots of good things about it. Any personal comments on this inn or suggestion for an alternative...

At Claudia Jean's.

After the KMT held their open forum caucus meeting on amending the parade law (good article in Taipei Times here), where most heavyweights basically agreed to change things only in name and not in form, and where all the NGOs were KMT shrills that nobody has ever heard of before, we were expecting some cosmetic changes to the law without any change in substance.

And that's what we're getting (hat tip Rank):

The Executive Yuan has raised the issue of revisions to the Assembly and Parade Law recently. However, the new version adopts a “compulsory notification system” whose content preserves restrictions including “assembling without notification is illegal”, “establishing forbidden areas”, “police have the right to alter the time, place, and form of the parade”, “the [police] can command dissolution of the parade without explicit standards”, and “the criminal and administrative sanctions relating to assembly”. Namely, the revision contains no practical improvements, only the change of name from “permission” to “notification”.

U.S. Patent 4807362 Notwithstanding the various prior art weapons available or otherwise disclosed in the prior art, a need remains for a throwing-star "Ninja" type defensive weapon which may be easily deployed immediately before use and may also be hidden as a part of an easily-accessible element of every day wearing apparel, such as a belt. I did not know that there were unresolved needs in