The Long & Difficult Journey of Taiwan Democratization

Video Title :	The Long & Difficult Journey of Taiwan Democratization
Description :	This video summarizes the historical moment of renaming the CKS (Chiang Kai-Shek) Memorial Hall in Taiwan to become the Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall. Actually, it takes more than 60 years of Taiwan people's efforts to accomplish this renaming process! To date, Taiwan democratization is still in progress, but it has been a very long and difficult journey for Taiwan people. After General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area, had directed the senior Japanese commanders and all ground, sea, air and auxiliary forces within Taiwan (Formosa) to surrender to the Republic of China military forces (led by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek from mainland China) in 1945, Taiwan residents have since lost many of their basic human rights including freedom of speech and political participation, for over 40 years. The journey of Taiwan democratization will remain difficult in the coming years, for the KMT Party in exile has never let go of its tight grip on the ROC Regime and the public media in Taiwan. It is ironic that for many years, the US Government has been asking Taiwan people to procure (from US) their defensive weapons (to protect Taiwan as well as the US interest on the Pacific forefronts), while the democratic US Government continues not only disapproving the application of UN membership submitted by the Taiwan ROC Government (on behalf of her 23M residents) but also disagreeing with the efforts to be made by the people of Taiwan to hold a referendum for their UN membership application in the coming months. Indeed, General MacArthur has left a very serious unfinished business in Asia after WWII! Now facing a growing China, even the US Government does not wish to openly discuss the Taiwan Question on unambiguous terms! The audio background is remixed with a Taipei Zoo Theme Song* (快樂天堂, A Happy Heavenly Place): http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=J5DPCVPI664 *This seemingly happy song was mixed here in the background to serve as a reminder that no matter how much space or foods are provided with in the Taipei Zoo or how we may make believe that the place is more civilized or heavenly like, all living creatures there in capativity will never feel truly happy and sing like they used to be in their own free wild world. References: (in English) http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2007/05/20/2003361648 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Kai-shek_Memorial_Hall http://taiwanjournal.nat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=25007&CtNode=122
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Keywords, Tags :	Taiwan democratization democracy KMT CKS memorial hall 台灣臺灣民主化民主紀念館自由廣場自由中國國民黨國民黨臺灣問題台灣問題快樂天堂
Video Length :	4 : 2

Comments :

Hey buddy you got it all mixed up. China is the country that needs democracy and is laced with corruption. Taiwan is what china should be,.

To Peacekeeper76: Taiwan is Taiwan, and China is China - people in Taiwan never get mixed up about this point. In this video, efforts were made to review only the long and difficult journey of Taiwan democratization. And Taiwan is still far from true democracy for the China KMT Party in exile is controlling the media in Taiwan and is still manipulating the school education. Kids in school learn a lot about China but know little about their homeland Formosa.

If Chiang had not taken charge in Taiwan, it would still be a backward island of China like Hainan. Taiwan would be struggling under Communist suppression - how long the road to democracy then?

To djb132: (1) Following the first Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), Taiwan was ceded in perpetuity to Japan by China Qing Empire in 1895. (2) The principal conqueror in the war against Japan over the Taiwan territory is the US, not the KMT-led ROC regime! (3) To date, Taiwan is "limbo cessions" with the USA as principal occupying power and qualify as insular areas! General Douglas MacAuthur actually has unfinished business left in East Asia.

To djb132: (cont.) Your comment should be corrected as: "If Chiang had not come to Taiwan, Taiwan would have been a much developed democratic country! And Taiwan does not even have to be harassed by the Communist China! - No White-Terror and NO Taiwan 228 Massacres!"

To djb132: (cont.) As for CKS, he probably would have been an exile living in the US with all his family members until he died! And the rest of ROC cohorts would have returned home and lived happily afterwards in China !!! Isn't this scenario much better than the one with CKS butchering thousands of Taiwan people and letting all his ROC cohorts exiled in Taiwan?

To Dartoolee: I am aware of the arguments over Taiwan's relationship with the US. However, it is no use dealing in hypotheses - the fact is that Taiwan was 'returned' to China after the Japanese surrender, and had CKS decided to flee elsewhere, or live in self-imposed exile in the US, there can be no doubt that Taiwan would have been occupied by the Communists, who of course see it as part of China.

To Dartoolee (cont.): I also find it interesting that as an obvious pro-independence Taiwanese you accept so readily the treaty ceding Taiwan to Japan in 1895. I would have thought this was anathema to you, but instead your acceptance of it implies you are happy with the (surely unjust) Japanese occupation. After all, this decision led to the establishment of the Black Flag Republic, and short-lived 'independence' for Taiwan - a position I assume you support!

To djb132: When Qing Empire decided to let Japan occupy Taiwan in 1895, no one under Qing in China had asked whether Taiwanese would like it or not! Whether I am happy about Japan's rule over Taiwan is not important at all. This is simply a historical fact! But I can tell you that I am very upset now because the PRC Regime in China is threating we Taiwanese with more than 1300 missiles targeting at Taiwan! Chinese are quite good at killing themselves: just compare the numbers of martyred.

To djb132: Like what you just said, it is of no use talking hypothetical case!