Can Blocking Retired Generals from Visiting the Mainland Safeguard National Dignity?

  Can Blocking Retired Generals from Visiting the Mainland Safeguard National Dignity?

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

July 10, 2017

 Translation of an Except

As frequent visits of retired generals to the Mainland for political activities have elicited controversies, the Cabinet approved draft amendment bills to the "Statute Governing Relations of People Across the Taiwan Strait" and the “State Secrets Protection Act." However, the draft amendment bills under the pretext of "safeguarding national dignity," on the other hand, have become near-maximized management and control. Since the DPP assumed control of both the Executive and Legislative powers, these bills have added another wave to the endless waves of political legislation, cavalier legislation and legislation with specific targets.

Under the grandiose name of "safeguarding national dignity", the draft amendment bills would provide: those who serve or served as politically-appointed deputy chiefs or higher in government agencies related to defense, foreign affairs, Mainland affairs or national security, or general officers above the rank of lieutenant general, as well as chiefs of intelligence agencies, either incumbent, departed or retired shall not, without approval, attend ceremonies or activities hosted by related political agencies on the Mainland or presided over by Mainland leadership. Even if allowed, they may not salute Mainland flags or emblems, or sing the anthem. In aggravated circumstances, their monthly pensions shall be revoked for life.

This "ulterior motive" has also been manifested in another provision, that is, the extent of control over exit and entry of politically-appointed officials. It is also a massive expansion of administrative discretion and restrictions of personal liberties through amendments of law; all these provisions are full of political calculations and extremely unreasonable.

The Tsai government proposed these amendments that infringe on personal liberties, violate the principle of proportionality, and are full of controversies. Once legislative action is completed, the "KMT-CCP Forum" in which the KMT has participated, we are afraid, could not continue; in the future, the 2^nd “Ma-Xi meeting” and the “Wu-Xi meeting” would be utterly impossible.

In a word, these are populist amendments done à la “掩耳盜鈴yan er dao ling” meaning stealing a bell and pretending not to hear the ringing by covering one’s ears, which could not safeguard national dignity, nor could they help to rescue Taiwan from diplomatic setbacks. If the Tsai government does not engage in some soul-searching, it will never understand why it has suffered losses "both domestically and externally."

Attachment : none