You Xikun, the convener of the 18-member founding group of the Democratic Progressive Party, attended the "40th Anniversary of the Founding of the Democratic Progressive Party and Party Member Party Dinner" today and pointed out that the party-state education is deeply rooted in the historical perspective of China, making it difficult for the younger generation to understand Taiwan's bloody and tearful journey of pursuing democracy. (Photo by reporter Wang Yisong)
You Xikun, the convener of the 18-member founding group of the Democratic Progressive Party, attended the "40th Anniversary of the Founding of the Democratic Progressive Party and Founding Party Members Dinner" today. He pointed out that the party-state education is deeply rooted in the historical perspective of Greater China, making it difficult for the younger generation to understand Taiwan's bloody and tearful journey of pursuing democracy. Taiwan's democratization cannot be led by former President Ma Ying-jeou's "green terror". He hopes that the younger generation will continue to "consolidate democracy and defend sovereignty."
You Xikun said that party-state education has ingrained Chinese historical dynasties into the minds of the Taiwanese people. However, Taiwan’s century-old history of pursuing democracy cannot be fully written into textbooks, making it difficult for young people to accept this history. This is by no means something that former President Ma Ying-jeou can get rid of with a "green terror".
You Xikun counted it in detail. From the "Taiwan Parliament Establishment Petition Movement" in 1921 to the present, Taiwan's path to democracy has gone on for 105 years. It has gone through the February 28th Incident, the Formosa Incident, the Linzhai Massacre, the Chen Wencheng Case and the Jiangnan Case. In the February 28th Incident alone, 18,000 to 28,000 people were massacred. During the White Terror, more than 40,000 people were politically persecuted. Taiwan's democracy has never been a smooth road, but the result of the blood and tears of its democratic predecessors.
You Xikun pointed out that September 28 to October 7, 1986 were the "Ten Critical Days for Taiwan's Democracy." The Democratic Progressive Party announced the formation of the party at the Grand Hotel, taking practical actions to break the party ban and usher in a new stage of party politics and democratization in Taiwan. Since then, the democratic system has gradually deepened through the provisional provisions for the termination of mobilization to fight the rebellion, comprehensive re-election of Congress, direct presidential election and three political party rotations.
He emphasized that the first comprehensive re-election of legislators in 1992, and the official inauguration on February 1, 1993, therefore 1993 was the true first year of Taiwan's democracy. Today, Taiwan is recognized by the world as the first and only country in the Chinese character culture circle. As a democratic country, Taiwan's democracy has been "sowed" by Chiang, Weishui and Guo Yu in the new era, "founded" by breaking party bans and fighting authoritarianism, and then "deepened" by the rotation of political parties. The mission of the younger generation now is to "consolidate democracy and defend sovereignty."
