STAFF REPORTER, WITH CNA
Thursday, Sep 27, 2007, Page 3
Oct. 24 has been designated “Taiwan UN Day,” Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) announced yesterday.
The day marks the anniversary of the coming into force of the UN Charter and is celebrated around the world as United Nations Day.
The premier made the announcement during yesterday morning’s weekly Cabinet meeting after hearing a report by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Taiwan’s bid for UN membership and another report by the Sports Affairs Council on a plan to hold a torch relay on Oct. 24 to promote the nation’s UN membership bid.
I find it funny how Taiwan still doesn’t get the hint after they were rejected just a week ago from ever gaining a seat in the United Nations. Making public awareness days about the United Nations with a torch relay as a result of their recent failures in both the United Nations and the Olympics is just absurd as diplomatic initiatives but they are great just for local votes.
Not a public holiday
Chang ordered the Ministry of the Interior to process the paperwork as soon as possible to facilitate the declaration of the commemorative day, which will not be observed as a public holiday.
He said that even though the application had failed, the government had taken a “big step forward” this year by applying for UN membership under the name “Taiwan.”
“Today, we want to declare to our citizens and to the international community that we will not be discouraged. Taiwan’s drive to join the United Nations will not stop here,” he said.
By not making it into a holiday and preaching a failed message to a already UN-weary crowd is not going to help make the situation any better. If the government actually had any brains, they would give themselves and their people some time to regroup from this setback and then start the vicious cycle all over again. But then again, all of these moves are done to get votes for the upcoming elections.
Out of touch
Chang said that many Taiwanese have lost touch with UN-related issues since the Republic of China’s withdrawal from the organization in 1971.
“We want to remind the public of the importance of the issue so that more people will support the idea,” Chang added.
Cabinet Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) yesterday released details about the torch relay planned to coincide with the new holiday.
“It is my understanding that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) will carry a torch and lead the activity,” Shieh said.
Shieh said that the relay would be held from 7am to 7pm and that a total of 25 counties would join in.
More than 12,500 baseball hats and T-shirts will be distributed to participants, Shieh said.
Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang
It’s also great that the government is reminding people of the Olympic Torch Relay they recently lost by substituting it with a politicized torch relay that reminds people of the government’s failure in gaining a UN seat and for screwing themselves out of a rare Olympic Torch Relay. It’s really funny knowing that these newly-announced initiatives by the Taiwan government is just a way to also mask their recent failures in the world stage on top of getting votes.
It’s also great to know that the government will be spending more taxpayer money to remind people of these high profile failures. Only in Taiwan can we see such absurdities abound.
Anthony said,
1 October, 2007 @ 3:03 am
I feel ashamed, being Taiwanese, to read this blog.
Because you are mostly telling the truth. However, you should avoid
interpreting actions of Taiwanese government as a common will of
Taiwanese people, for Mr. Chen won 2004 election by cheating anyway.
I’d like to suggest you to write in Chinese if you can. Those people who
would follow blindly are those who lack international language skills. They
are supposed to be your audience right?
wallaceliu said,
3 October, 2007 @ 10:58 am
No, it is the world that is my audience. People like Tim Maddog and Michael Turton love to tell the world how the Taiwanese government represents all of Taiwan and that anyone who has other opinions are just rabid traitors who support genocide.
I think it’s time for a blog that goes above the narrow-minded bias and hate that has been promoted by Taiwanese and their pro-Taiwan expats for several years.
I am not one sided or bent on exposing Taiwanese faults, but rather to inform on cases left unacknowledged by the Taiwanese media. Taiwanese (anyone really) naturally become defensive and irrational during such events.
For most westerners, they don’t understand Asian cultures all that well (about losing face and all that). The same goes for Asians not understanding westerners either, good intentions are often lost in translation.
A site like this is a good thing for Taiwanese, without explaining the purpose in details, at least Taiwanese can see what we can see. Things that may not be wrong in Taiwanese eyes (like fattening pigs with plastic and glass for festivals) are wrong in ours.
Criticism is part of development and back in the days America, Japan, France, England everybody all had their fair share of it for the unethical things each has done through the ages and all are trying to improve on (in Taiwan’s case they are still very slow). Western societies are also not without faults. Sometimes we all need to think first before passing judgment too quickly.
I’m not here to convince hundreds of people that they’re wrong or wasting their time, but simply to add a little perspective. My Taiwanese friends have and I’m sure most of you can too.
firefox222 said,
6 November, 2007 @ 8:37 am
well, the Taiwanese people are fighting for their freedom which means they wants to be independent country. But under the Mainland China’s hard pressure, Taiwan doesn’t stand a chance to be independent which means to separate from China.
Maximus said,
20 December, 2007 @ 2:23 pm
I would like to see a continuation of the topic
abby said,
13 March, 2009 @ 5:31 pm
to be honest, i am a taiwanese, myself.
having to read this, broadens my knowledge. however, it seems that your opinions towards the taiwanese are incredibly biased…
and i agree with what wallaceliu said.
unlike you,
i am going to try and be open-minded and hear both sides of the story (: