Comments on: Freedom House sounds a warning http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/2009/02/freedom-house-article/ commentary on all things Taiwanese -- Taichung, Taiwan Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:46:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Independent investigation of police needed - David on Formosa http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/2009/02/freedom-house-article/comment-page-1/#comment-84846 Independent investigation of police needed - David on Formosa Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:42:41 +0000 http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/?p=3438#comment-84846 [...] about the way the Control Yuan operates. Freedom House wrote an article in February this year (discussed on this blog) mentioning this concern. The Control Yuan is undertaking its own investigation, but the extent to [...] [...] about the way the Control Yuan operates. Freedom House wrote an article in February this year (discussed on this blog) mentioning this concern. The Control Yuan is undertaking its own investigation, but the extent to [...]

]]> By: cfimages http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/2009/02/freedom-house-article/comment-page-1/#comment-84740 cfimages Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:07:26 +0000 http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/?p=3438#comment-84740 In interests of staying on topic, I'll say no more. In interests of staying on topic, I’ll say no more.

]]> By: David Reid http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/2009/02/freedom-house-article/comment-page-1/#comment-84739 David Reid Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:41:00 +0000 http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/?p=3438#comment-84739 The following is a quote from <a href="http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2008/11/06/2003427917" rel="nofollow">an article</a> by Tsai Ing-wen published in the Taipei Times, 6 November 2008. <blockquote>I would especially like to make it clear to all the members of the DPP that you cannot resort to violence, regardless of the time or situation. Democracy is the DPP’s only weapon and peace is the only method we can utilize. This is my only request and my only order.</blockquote> She may well have said that she couldn't guarantee the protests would be non-violent, but in no way did she ever promote the use of violence. What you have said in your comment is a very unfair misrepresentation of her words. On the issue of China it is not that people are opposed to links per se, the problem is that it should not be done in a way that undermines national security and sovereignty. Negotiations need to be conducted in a more open and transparent manner in accordance with the principles of democracy. While you are free to critique the DPP it is off topic from this article and distracting from the real and important issues raised by the article. The following is a quote from an article by Tsai Ing-wen published in the Taipei Times, 6 November 2008.

I would especially like to make it clear to all the members of the DPP that you cannot resort to violence, regardless of the time or situation. Democracy is the DPP’s only weapon and peace is the only method we can utilize. This is my only request and my only order.

She may well have said that she couldn’t guarantee the protests would be non-violent, but in no way did she ever promote the use of violence. What you have said in your comment is a very unfair misrepresentation of her words.

On the issue of China it is not that people are opposed to links per se, the problem is that it should not be done in a way that undermines national security and sovereignty. Negotiations need to be conducted in a more open and transparent manner in accordance with the principles of democracy.

While you are free to critique the DPP it is off topic from this article and distracting from the real and important issues raised by the article.

]]> By: cfimages http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/2009/02/freedom-house-article/comment-page-1/#comment-84738 cfimages Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:53:45 +0000 http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/?p=3438#comment-84738 I agree that they can't be responsible for every protestor, but when the govt are talking to China like they said they would, and like the voters of Taiwan voted for; and when a poll released this week shows that 67% of the public approve of strengthening links with China; it's hard to find justification for the protests in the first place. The police response wasn't really any different to what it would have been in a western democracy - don't forget that one of the main reasons there was such a huge police presence was because a DPP counciller assaulted a Chinese official in Tainan, and then during the week Chen was here, Tsai herself said she couldn't guarantee that the protests would be non-violent. If an opposition leader in any other democracy anywhere in the world said something like that, they'd be out of a job by days end. I agree that they can’t be responsible for every protestor, but when the govt are talking to China like they said they would, and like the voters of Taiwan voted for; and when a poll released this week shows that 67% of the public approve of strengthening links with China; it’s hard to find justification for the protests in the first place. The police response wasn’t really any different to what it would have been in a western democracy – don’t forget that one of the main reasons there was such a huge police presence was because a DPP counciller assaulted a Chinese official in Tainan, and then during the week Chen was here, Tsai herself said she couldn’t guarantee that the protests would be non-violent. If an opposition leader in any other democracy anywhere in the world said something like that, they’d be out of a job by days end.

]]> By: David Reid http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/2009/02/freedom-house-article/comment-page-1/#comment-84737 David Reid Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:03:25 +0000 http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/?p=3438#comment-84737 cfimages, the link is fixed thanks. I think it is unfair to put too much blame on the DPP. It just shifts attention away from the real issue. The DPP were responsible for organising a number of protests during the week of Chen Yunlin's visit, but they can't be held responsible for the actions of every individual protester. Some of the protests occurred spontaneously without organisation anyway. Some of the improper police actions were against small groups of people who were not acting violently or breaking any laws. The point of the Freedom House article and my comments on it is that the government needs to take effective measures to respond to these problems. There is little evidence that it has done so. As the opposition party the DPP can only call on the government to take these measures, it has very little power to do anything itself. Of course the threat to throw shoes at the President concerns me too. But it was not the topic of this article. cfimages, the link is fixed thanks.

I think it is unfair to put too much blame on the DPP. It just shifts attention away from the real issue. The DPP were responsible for organising a number of protests during the week of Chen Yunlin’s visit, but they can’t be held responsible for the actions of every individual protester. Some of the protests occurred spontaneously without organisation anyway. Some of the improper police actions were against small groups of people who were not acting violently or breaking any laws.

The point of the Freedom House article and my comments on it is that the government needs to take effective measures to respond to these problems. There is little evidence that it has done so. As the opposition party the DPP can only call on the government to take these measures, it has very little power to do anything itself.

Of course the threat to throw shoes at the President concerns me too. But it was not the topic of this article.

]]> By: cfimages http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/2009/02/freedom-house-article/comment-page-1/#comment-84735 cfimages Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:19:42 +0000 http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/?p=3438#comment-84735 David, the link to the article isn't working. It should be http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2009/02/17/2003436315 To be fair, both sides of politics need to shoulder part of the blame. Threats to freedom are not only coming from the blue side of town. RSF reported on the violence committed by DPP supporters late last year. http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=29232 This needs to be condemned equally - especially after talk today about shoe-throwing protest against Ma in a couple of weeks. David, the link to the article isn’t working. It should be http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2009/02/17/2003436315

To be fair, both sides of politics need to shoulder part of the blame. Threats to freedom are not only coming from the blue side of town. RSF reported on the violence committed by DPP supporters late last year.

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=29232

This needs to be condemned equally – especially after talk today about shoe-throwing protest against Ma in a couple of weeks.

]]>