Joseph Wu Only Proves His Own Inner Diffidence

 Joseph Wu Only Proves His Own Inner Diffidence

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)

  August 3, 2017

 Translation of an Excerpt

Taiwan has democratized for nearly 30 years; it goes without saying that freedom and democracy in Taiwan is a social consensus. However, recently several things have happened, reminding people that freedom and democracy in Taiwan has not been truly consolidated. Joseph Wu, Secretary-General to the President, when speaking at an activity commemorating the 30th anniversary of the lifting of martial law, said "the residual vices of the authoritarian regime are trying to rekindle the stove in Taiwan, and are coalescing with China across the Strait,” which is the most shocking and astounding.

Taiwan currently faces three predicaments. One is the predicament of the youth. The youth of Taiwan, whether going to school or seeking employment, see gradually dimmer prospects. The second is the predicament of the military, civil servants, and public school teachers. The DPP, since coming to office, has been waving the banner of annuity reforms, humiliating retired military, civil servants, and public school teachers, and depriving these people of their lawful rights and interests, leading to substantially reduced pension income and benefits. It is inevitable that the military, civil servants, and public school teachers in active service feel empathetic, impacting their loyalty to the government. The third is the predicament of labor’s rights and interests. The DPP government has been pushing, with great effort, the “one mandatory holiday, one flexible day-off,” which actually undermines labor’s rights and interests, underscoring the fact that the DPP government has no overall consideration in safeguarding labor’s rights and interests, nor the ability to achieve an equilibrium for harmonizing industries’ normal operations and efficiency of government.

Behind the sensational remarks by Joseph Wu is, in fact, an attempt to shirk the responsibility of the DPP government; he wants people to believe that these predicaments are not the result of the DPP government’s incompetence, but the workings of "residual vices of the authoritarian regime" and "a communist conspiracy." The fact that Joseph Wu made these baseless accusations to the people of Taiwan is not only a question of the fight between political parties, but also the result of backpedalling of democracy. The people of Taiwan have the right to question: whither is the DPP leading Taiwan's democracy?

The DPP government moves ever faster on the road of backpedalling democracy; if it does not turn back, it will, we are afraid, undermine and damage the “Democratic Progressive" in its shingle. Joseph Wu must clarify his improper and sensational remarks, and forsake continuing to persecute the KMT in line with the thinking of the vicious Blue-Green struggle, let alone harming democracy while waving the banner of democracy. A true democracy welcomes the oversight of the opposition party, and does not cavalierly brand others as fellow travelers, eschewing it own responsibility. More importantly, a series of problems has occurred on the public policy level of the DPP government, urgently needing the adoption of measures for correction, and communicating in good faith with the opposition parties; this is the path that it must take.

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