October 2017

Why Did China Kidnap Lee Ming-Che, Anyway?

Brian Hioe
While Taiwanese human rights advocate Lee Ming-Che remains imprisoned in China under murky charges of “subverting state power” and attempting to encourage “multiparty rule” in China, it may be worth considering the question of what exactly China hopes to gain out of Lee’s imprisonment, if at all. Obviously, in all likelihood, China wishes to intimidate Taiwan, but in precisely what way does it wish to intimidate Taiwan?...
Cross StraitEnglishInternationalOctober 20176 min read

從夏綠蒂事件，看台灣與美國的相似之處

Brian Hioe
隨著川普（Donald Trump）當選總統之後，美國各地愈來愈多由白人優越論者（white supremacist）所引起的暴力事件。在這樣的現象中，台灣應該要從中獲得更多思考。今年 8 月 12 日（六），在美國維吉尼亞州的夏綠蒂鎮（Charlottesville）發生了一場衝突。這要從一尊過去南北戰爭時，南方邦聯政府（Confederate）的人物雕像講起，對反種族主義者（anti-racist）來說，這尊雕像象徵著美國過去奴隸和種族制度的可恥歷史，因此要求拆除，但白人優越論的一方卻要求保留。然而，在夏綠蒂鎮抗議的白人優越論者，卻槓上敵對的左派反種族主義者（left anti-racist）和反法西斯主義者（anti-fascist），當時一台車衝進反種族主義者的隊伍，最後導致 1 死 19 傷。...
October 2017RaceSocial Movements中文劉子鳳1 min read

Filipino Accusations of Taiwanese Drug Trafficking Complicate Diplomatic Relations

Garrett Dee
Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte made diplomatic waves last month during a speech at a police academy in the Philippines by claiming that Taiwan was a major source of drugs entering the Philippines, listing Taiwan as a primary origin of the drug trade in comparison to China and other neighboring countries. This action provoked a strong reaction from the Taiwanese government, who rebutted the claims and reaffirmed their strong partnership with the Philippines in combatting cross-border crime and drug trafficking...
EnglishInternationalOctober 2017Regional Tensions6 min read

The Rise And Fall Of Ko Wen-Je?

Brian Hioe
It may be that Ko Wen-Je will be, going forward, increasingly be seen as a turncoat by the pan-Green camp following the controversy over Ko’s defense of the Sing! China event which took place in Taipei, as well as recent claims by Ko that imprisoned former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-Bian faked his illness in order to secure release on medical parole...
EnglishOctober 2017Politics7 min read

Similarities And Differences Between Catalonia And Taiwan

Ferran Pérez Mena
During past few years, the conflict between China and Taiwan has resonated more frequently than one would think in Catalan media, which has historically been ignorant of anything that occurs in Asia—except with regards to some news items about China. It is important to note that the attention given by Catalan media to this conflict is in part because of the more or less accurate perception that recent political developments related to the disputed international status of Taiwan are similar to what Catalonia has experienced in the past decade. The aim of this article is therefore to analyze the similarities and differences between the political projects of "independence" in Taiwan and Catalonia...
EnglishOctober 2017Self-DeterminationSocial Movements11 min read

Protests Mark Chinese National Day In Hong Kong On October 1st

Brian Hioe
Protests marked Chinese National Day in Hong Kong on October 1st earlier this week, with 40,000 taking to the streets in order to demonstrate the worsening condition for human rights and the deterioration of democratic freedoms in Hong Kong. Protests saw some clashes with police and pro-China groups, including the arrest of youth activists from Demosisto after being attacked by pro-China demonstrators. What comes next for Hong Kong, however, remains to be seen...
#19EnglishOctober 2017Self-DeterminationSocial Movements5 min read

Accusations Of Nepotism Against DPP Second-Generation Politicians

Brian Hioe
A wave of mockery from Internet netizens has broken out against second-generation politicians that are the children of established politicians, with plans by children of both pan-Green and pan-Blue politicians to run for office. In particular, however, the DPP has been singled out for criticism with the view that this is a sign of how the DPP is no different from the KMT in terms of how it conducts politics...
EnglishOctober 2017Politics6 min read

Lessons For Taiwan From The Catalan And Kurdish Referendums?

Brian Hioe
In past days, youth activist and civil society groups in Taiwan have expressed support of Catalonia following the Spanish government’s use of brutal force to put down the Catalan independence referendum. This is not too surprising, seeing as youth activist groups in Taiwan see a sense of shared cause between the Catalan people’s struggle for self-determination and Taiwan’s own struggle for independence. Yet the outcome of not only the Catalan referendum, but also the recent Kurdish referendum in Iraq, offers lessons for Taiwan regarding its own aspirations towards using referendum to settle longstanding questions regarding Taiwanese independence...
EnglishOctober 2017Self-DeterminationSocial Movements16 min read