Han Kuo-yu Must Not Repeat Ma Ying-jeou’s Mistake

 Han Kuo-yu Must Not Repeat Ma Ying-jeou’s Mistake

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

October 31, 2019

 Translation of an Excerpt

Former President Ma Ying-jeou recently spoke at the press conference for "Let’s Salvage Our History Education", admitting that in his eight-year tenure, he hadn’t done enough in readjusting textbook guidelines, expressing apologies. According to Ma Ying-jeou, he pushed for "minor readjustments of textbook guidelines" during his term, revising the view of history in the textbook guidelines of the DPP’s first administration, but for the sake of social harmony, the readjustments made were cautious and moderate, thus he was criticized for failing to reverse the course. So, he did some soul-searching, believing that indeed his efforts were not enough, thus expressing regrets at the press conference. In this passage, Ma responded for the first time to the questioning on the part of outside circles toward his handling of issues related to history textbook guidelines during his eight-year administration, but it also underscored the blind spots that merit even more reflections.

In 2010, even toward the slightly readjusted textbook guidelines, the mayors and county executives of six cities and counties under DPP rule refused to use the textbooks compiled under the slightly readjusted textbook guidelines. When the DPP regained power in 2016, the Education Ministry under the Tsai government, through its first ministerial order, rescinded the slightly readjusted textbook guidelines made under the Ma government and in August this year, implemented comprehensive "de-Sinicization", reshaping, for the next generation of students, history textbook guidelines based on the Taiwan independence view of history.

Now, the survival or demise of the Republic of China is encountering the onslaught, step by step, of various forces of Taiwan independence, both open and hidden. The history textbooks under the guidance of the Taiwan independence party platform will hollow out the existing Chinese culture of Taiwan, eroding the roots and foundation of cross-Strait relations, making the knowledgeable burn with worries and anxiety. The readjustments or rescission of history education textbook guidelines, which concern our next generation, not only is an issue for crossing swords affecting the outcome of the electoral battle, but it also determines the development of the entire country and hinges on the prosperity or withering of the nation.

Ma Ying-jeou did the so-called "slight readjustments" to textbook guidelines; in other words, it means that it did not “wholely” rectify the guidelines. Nevertheless, the problem probably lies not only in the adequacy of degree, but it also failed to be "timely". After eight years of the first DPP administration, the KMT, armed with the might of victory for the complete control of government, could have, openly and with justification, reverted the textbook guidelines, allowing history education to return to the right track; however, it nevertheless, like what historical scholars said, "committed some strategic and tactical delays and mistakes", thus losing the best opportunity for reversal. Now, faced with a president who is not even identified with her own country or constitution, Han Kuo-yu absolutely must not repeat the mistake, overlooking the crux; Taiwan’s people, all the more, should think of the pain even in pain and make the correct judgment.

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