It's been a while since I posted about Taiwanese politics, mostly because I'm further removed from it now. I get my news from Taipei Times and assorted English bloggers. Normally I just read the articles, but the anger and disbelief that I experienced back in Taiwan isn't there anymore.

However, not this time. On the eve of the U.S. Democratic Presidential Election, a huge event that everyone has their eyes on where the citizens of the U.S. pick their next leader, another democratic country is going through something it shouldn't ever have or need to. A high level Chinese official, Chen Yunlin is visiting Taiwan, and any sort of protest or any form of patriotic (Taiwanese) display has become forbidden. That is ridiculous. We are a democracy; we have freedom of speech and the right to express our opinions. But it seems like these rights have been disregarded and tossed away because of the need for "safety" of this Chinese official and the fear of pissing China off.

I may not be physically in Taiwan, hearing and seeing these things, but all the way here in Belgium, while reading the news articles about how Taiwanese people are being treated by the police for holding on to a Taiwanese or even Tibetan flag, I am in disbelief. And angry. This is not what Taiwanese people had in mind when they chose Mr. Ma for our leader.

Preventing harm from coming to the Chinese official is one thing, but when people who are expressing their pride in being Taiwanese and their opinion on the state of Taiwan (peacefully) are detained or forcibly removed from a location is a totally different thing. When did freedom of speech, either through speech itself or a visual display become something that can get someone arrested? My sister was so angry when she heard that she said she wanted to carry a flag in one of those locations where the Chinese official will be and see what would happen. When I heard that, I had the fear that she would get arrested or even harmed. I shouldn't have had this reaction because all she would be doing is holding on to a Taiwanese flag. There's nothing remotely threatening about that. She wasn't going to go throw eggs or do anything that would harm the official. This irrational fear is no longer irrational because it is occurring, right now in Taipei, the capital of a democratic country.

I can't stress enough how sad and wrong this is. When Mr. Ma was elected president, I was told that this is just a part of the democratic process - parties will win and lose. That is true, look at the U.S. - Republicans and Democrats have both been in the presidential office throughout its history. However, they never had to worry about one party selling them out to another country. The people of Taiwan didn't vote for Mr. Ma to reunify with China; he even said in his own campaign that it wouldn't happen during his term. Well, maybe in name it's not happening, but it certainly feels like he has a higher regard for China than for the people of his own country, the people who put him where he is now.

I didn't live in the martial law era, same with my peers. But from what I've read, many people who had lived during that time see a resemblance of what's happening right now in Taipei to how it was back then. And that is a scary thought. It might be only a temporary occurrence for now because of the Chinese official, but when it has happened once, it's that much easier for it to happen again.

More readings of what's happening:
- Measures Recall the Martial Law Era [Taipei Times]; detailed article of the protests and arrests that have occurred on Day 1 of Chen Yunlin's visit.
- Editorial: Fear and Loathing in Taipei [Taipei Times]
- ARATS Visit Roundup [Michael Turton]
- Martial Law Type Incident [A-Gu]
- Security Detail [The Foreigner in Formosa]; how many police officers will be protecting the official.