Down with negativity!

Are people really succumbing to the news of Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) as if they were wrong to support his pro-Taiwan agenda when others were accusing him of all kinds of things without providing evidence? It's nearly impossible to know, but the pan-blue media sure is pushing that message.

Whatever Chen's guilty of (and the weight of the accusations decreases by the day), it shouldn't add a single ounce of credibility to any of those random accusers. Remember the moral of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf": No one will believe a liar, even when they are telling the truth.

Get off your demoralized asses, and do somethin'!
As I pointed out recently, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has been pushing their pro-China agenda forward faster than you can say "Genocide Olympics." What are you going to do about it?

Well, you could just sit there and let Taiwan go down the drain before your eyes. But a better choice would be to keep pushing forward and to use your democracy before it's taken away completely. Toward that end, there are some activities coming up where simply showing up will help.

Rally? Really!
Tomorrow (Saturday, August 30, 2008), there will be a march and rally to protest President Mr. Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) increasingly China-leaning policies. The title of the event is 830百日怒吼全民站出 (My translation: "The Roar of a Hundred Days: Stand Up, and Be Heard"), and it's a joint effort by multiple pro-Taiwan groups such as the Taiwan Society (台灣社). This activity will take place in Taipei beginning at 3 PM and will continue until around 7 PM.

Two groups of marchers will converge at Ketagalan Boulevard (凱達格蘭大道) for the "grand finale" in front of the Presidential Office office of Mr. Ma. Among many other complaints, this demonstration will also demand that the people of Taiwan be consulted via a referendum regarding any cross-Strait agreements made by Mr. Ma's government.

In contrast with what some pan-blue yack-show hosts are trying to make people believe, the event is not a rally in support of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) (830不是挺扁的活動). If you attend the rally, and you see or hear any people claiming to support Chen, they're most likely pan-blue infiltrators, so try not to react the way they would like you to.

Press(,) release (yourselves from Chinese bondage)
Here's how it's being promoted to a certain group which frequently fails to see things in Taiwan, uh, clearly (info via Jerome F. Keating, PhD):

To Taiwan's Foreign Media: Check out the August 30 Protest against Ma Ying-jeou
It will soon be 100 days since Ma Ying-jeou has been president of Taiwan, 100 ineffectual days. So what do the people think about Ma? How do they evaluate his first 100 days? Come to the Presidential Palace this Saturday, August 30th and you'll see what some think of the man whose popularity rating has dropped below 37 per cent. Don't be misled, this protest is no show of support for the scandal-ridden Chen Shui-bian as pan-blue forces may try to paint it. This protest is all about Ma, his ineffectual programs, his placing the country at risk and his inability to govern.

Who will be there? Of course there won't be too many hard core pan-blue people even though many of them share the same thoughts about Ma's inadequacies. Here however is an inkling of those you will see.

Marchers will come from different directions; Specific Groups in these marches include:
The Taiwan Nation People
The Taiwan Teacher's Alliance
The Political Victims of Taiwan
The 2/28 Families Alliance
The Taiwan Build the Country Alliance
The Protectors of Taiwan's Flame
The Taiwan Association of University Professors (TAUP)
The North American Taiwanese Professors Association (NATPA)

That is not all. You will also see average citizens marching:

--Those who are tired of Ma's broken promises—like his promises to divest the KMT of the stolen state assets (made three years ago) and get the arms purchase plan moving (also three years ago)

--Those who believe in their nation and believe it should have dignity, even though Ma declines to be called President in front of China, and says Taiwan's sovereignty is not important.

--Those who know that Ma has no love or feeling for Taiwan as Taiwan, but only sees it as a prize he can take credit for in bringing it to China and fulfill both his deceased father's dream and the KMT dream of unification.

--Those who laugh at Ma's foolhardy and inefficient plans to stimulate the economy. Take for example the brainchild promise to bring in thousands of tourists from China every day when barely 300 a day have come. Even if the numbers had lived up to his foolhardy promises, insiders knew it was all hype and only a drop in the bucket.

--Those that are angry that Ma now desperately suggests multiple entry visas for China's 1.3 billion people; no other nation dealing with Taiwan has that privilege.

--Those who know Ma's secretary has taken the fall for stashing half a million US dollars in Ma's bank account; the secretary is in jail while Ma pleads ignorance. Of course the secretary expects a presidential pardon "when the time is right."

--Those who know their children's lives and careers were destroyed by Ma being a KMT campus spy in his years in the USA.

--Those who are embarrassed and angry that Ma has foresworn any petition for Taiwan to enter the United Nations this year citing the vague hope that he will be happy with the crumbs of China allowing Taiwan to sit in the corner like a good little boy and just "observe" what happens at the World Health Association (WHA). This is supposed to be a great achievement?

--Those that are embarrassed that Ma has chosen a personal friend who hardly speaks Japanese to be Taiwan's "ambassador" to Japan, Taiwan's closest ally.

--Those who have always seen that Ma as an image seeking poseur and charlatan, who never accomplished anything significant in his eight years as Mayor of Taipei.

Yes the list goes on and on; and no Ma doesn't talk about the economy any more, nor does he talk about his past broken promises. Come out and see what the people really think of Ma. And if any of the above match your beliefs, feelings and experience, join in and express them.

I couldn't have said it better!

Maps!
Here's a map of the Eastern Route [UPDATE 1: Printable version /UPDATE 1]:

Here's a map of the Western Route [UPDATE 2: Printable version /UPDATE 2]:

Here's a link to the text version of those routes, in Chinese, of course.

Scream and shout, let it all out!
Some people have asked recently, "Where's the anger?" It's there, all right, but however rapidly Ma's policies have damaged Taiwan's sovereignty, most of Taiwan's population isn't going to rush to judgement. However, the time has come, and I think a lot of people will show up at the August 30 (830) rally.

Let the world know that you reject Mr. Ma's dirty pro-China policies and that you will stand up for Taiwan!

Got poster?
Here's one I did up. Feel free to print one up for yourself:


Download it! Print it! Carry it!
(Click to enlarge)
Help me get that message in the international media.

And now...
For something completely different that you can do, there's the 2007 film "Katyn" 《愛在波蘭戰火時》 by famed Polish director Andrzej Wajda, which just opened in Taipei on August 15. The film has apparently been well-received there, and I heard that the distributor is considering sending it to Taichung and Kaohsiung. Jerome Keating describes the film as recalling Taiwan's tragedy -- a reference to the 228 Massacre of 1947. If it's in your area, go see it. The film is in Polish and Russian, and is being shown with Chinese subtitles. If that doesn't do it for you, wait for the DVD, or look for it. It's out there.

Future-retroism
And after you've viewed the film, try to view current events in Taiwan as if you were watching them from 50 years down the road. What do you see happening? What's in the near future for Taiwan? What part will you play in these events?

FURTHER READING:

About the rally:
* Pro-localization groups prepare for rally on Aug. 30
* Rally will boost morale:DPP
* DPP to participate in rally

About the movie:
* 華依達新作【愛在波蘭戰火時】催德國女總理落淚
* Chinese-language introduction to the movie including historical background and more
* A Chinese-language blog about the movie
* Chinese-language info and showtimes for the Leofoo Movie Theater (長春戲院)

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Quicker picker-uppers: Taiwan, 台灣, Ma Ying-jeou, 馬英九, China, 中國, protest, 抗議, Taiwan Society, 台灣社

Cross-posted at Taiwan Matters!

Labels: China, Ma Ying-jeou, protest, Taiwan, Taiwan Society, 中國, 台灣, 台灣社, 抗議, 馬英九