Pakistan Tribune: The Truth About Taiwan


	The Truth About Taiwan Commentary
Saturday March 27, 2004 William Stimson As I flicked off the TV in disgust last night, the last image I saw was an attractive young woman at one of the KMT street disturbances somewhere in Taiwan carrying a placard on which she'd scrawled, "We only want the truth." Two words were missing from her sign: "TO CONTROL." The placard should have read, "We only want TO CONTROL the truth." That's more the mainlander game -- both in the People's Republic across the Strait and with the KMT goons who have been forcing their will on Taiwan for upward to half a century now. This orchestrated campaign of street disturbances the KMT leaders are foisting on TV viewers is only the latest stunt Taiwan has had to suffer. It's just another KMT lie. The truth that doesn't show on television, and that the world can't see, is that the majority of people in Taiwan are not out on the streets waving blue and red flags and creating a ruckus because the election is over and they voted for the party that won. Their green flags are hanging on the wall in their apartments. They're going about their business, like citizens do in a democracy after a fair and square election. They're delighted the KMT was trounced, even though the victory was only razor thin. Next time the margin will be bigger. Things are changing fast on this island. The majority in Taiwan is tired of being controlled by the lying and corrupt minority of KMT mainlanders. They want their island back. They want their truth back. That's why they put Chen Shui-bian in office for a second term. With their vote, these decent folk, sitting at home, have made a revolution in Taiwan that doesn't show on TV and that the unruly KMT mob on the streets can't undo. William R. Stimson is an American writer living in Taiwan.

The Truth About Taiwan

Commentary

Saturday March 27, 2004

William Stimson

As I flicked off the TV in disgust last night, the last image I saw was an attractive young woman at one of the KMT street disturbances somewhere in Taiwan carrying a placard on which she'd scrawled, "We only want the truth."

Two words were missing from her sign: "TO CONTROL."

The placard should have read, "We only want TO CONTROL the truth." That's more the mainlander game -- both in the People's Republic across the Strait and with the KMT goons who have been forcing their will on Taiwan for upward to half a century now. This orchestrated campaign of street disturbances the KMT leaders are foisting on TV viewers is only the latest stunt Taiwan has had to suffer. It's just another KMT lie.

The truth that doesn't show on television, and that the world can't see, is that the majority of people in Taiwan are not out on the streets waving blue and red flags and creating a ruckus because the election is over and they voted for the party that won.

Their green flags are hanging on the wall in their apartments. They're going about their business, like citizens do in a democracy after a fair and square election.

They're delighted the KMT was trounced, even though the victory was only razor thin. Next time the margin will be bigger. Things are changing fast on this island.

The majority in Taiwan is tired of being controlled by the lying and corrupt minority of KMT mainlanders. They want their island back. They want their truth back. That's why they put Chen Shui-bian in office for a second term.

With their vote, these decent folk, sitting at home, have made a revolution in Taiwan that doesn't show on TV and that the unruly KMT mob on the streets can't undo.

William R. Stimson is an American writer living in Taiwan.