The Fiercer the Measures to Block Kuan Chung-ming, the More the Shingle of Democracy and Progress Will Lose its Shine

 The Fiercer the Measures to Block Kuan Chung-ming, the More the Shingle of Democracy and Progress Will Lose its Shine

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

February 22, 2018

 Translation of an Excerpt

The Autonomous Action Alliance Preparatory Group, initiated by National Taiwan University (NTU) professors, went to Ketagalan Boulevard on February 21^st to offer “Chinese New Year’s greetings” to President Tsai and Education Minister Pan Wen-chung, demanding that they listen to the roars of NTU faculty and students, and respect NTU’s decision. This first protest following the Chinese New Year will be more damaging to the Green regime than the sum total of issues such as annuity reforms and “one mandatory holiday, one flexible day-off.”

The manipulation of the issue over "blocking Kuan” this time not only hurt the image and reputation of both Tsai Ing-wen and Premier Lai Ching-te, but also tumbled the "political party image" that the DPP had long managed to build. We must know whether it is "academic independence", "university autonomy" and "political forces should withdraw from the campuses" and other appeals of values, were all pushed by the DPP or pro-Green figures in yesteryear, but now following the battle of “blocking Kuan,” the DPP itself surprisingly took the lead in becoming the dark force in undermining "academic independence" and "university autonomy"!

Don’t underestimate the after effect of this incident, nor should we look down upon the harm that this incident has caused the DPP. We must know that prior to this, the undertakings of the DPP, whether recognizing or not recognizing of the 1992 Consensus, purging the KMT’s party assets, annuity reforms, or “one mandatory holiday, one flexible day-off” it may place the blame on party positions or policy positions; however, the manipulation of "blocking Kuan" this time was rather a total self-destruction of the Great Wall on the stance of values. Added to this the manipulation of intervening into civic organizations, the DPP has marched to the opposite side of democratic politics; it has, step by step, walked to the protagonist that itself lambasted and protested yesteryear, and has also, step by step, jettisoned the values ​​and convictions it defended the most yesteryear. This is precisely the greatest crisis the DPP is facing at present!

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