Comments on: Opinion:On Dalai Lama’s Upcoming Visit to Taiwan

By: Jason

Jason — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:57:48 +0000

I also heard that most of the locals was disappointed that they couldn’t meet DL and locals complain that why is DL here when he doesn’t meet the locals.

I also heard that a planned one hour speech was cut down to 40 minutes.

By: S.K. Cheung

S.K. Cheung — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:14:27 +0000

I agree with FOARP. The Dalai Lama visited a disaster area at the request of the local government. A bunch of folks in a hard-hit area wanted the blessing of a spiritual/religious figure. It had nothing to do with Ma or the Taiwanese government. If China wasn’t so childish when it comes to all things Dalai Lama, it needn’t even have warranted a mention on their part. Yet there she was, complaining about nothing. As it was, nothing came of all the posturing, which is good news. Maybe next time, China can even spare us the posturing…I mean, we get it already.

I do wonder about Allen’s assertion about the coexistence of Tibetan and Han culture. Certainly, there’s no reason why they can’t coexist. But the evidence of such coexistence in Taiwan merely illustrates that there is no natural impediment. That this coexistence is so strained on the mainland simply points to the fact that any such barriers are man-made, courtesy of your good ol CCP.

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:54:58 +0000

@ FOARP: Well, there’s no way he could have visited without anyone saying anything. Ma had to figure out how to balance both sides, the DPP had to keep the national party organization quiet and China had to protest without undercutting Ma. All three seemed to take the wisest course so that’s why I said it was win/win, or in this case win/win/win.

By: FOARP

FOARP — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 06:54:13 +0000

@Steve – Not quite win/win, it would have been much better had the DL simply been left to it, and controversy avoided.

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:47:43 +0000

@ Allen #60: Seems like it was all smoke and no fire. The DL drew big crowds, kept his message spiritual and many victims felt he gave them real comfort. China played it smart and kept Ma and the KMT’s name out of their complaints. Ma OK’d the visit but didn’t meet personally with the DL, placating China without appearing to do their bidding. Looks like it ended up a win/win situation for everyone.

By: Allen

Allen — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:38:08 +0000

Dalai Lama’s Taiwan visit did not surprise me too much. I don’t have much to add to this follow up report from Cindy Cui.

http://atimes.com/atimes/China/KI05Ad02.html

In the end, despite the politically driven motivations of the visit, I’m satisfied DL visit was relatively low profile, did not damage the Taiwan-Mainland reconciliation process … and that many Taiwanese people had the opportunity to obtain blessings from the Dalai Lama …

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:16:37 +0000

@ Jason: I believe that China allows Taiwanese party officials to visit but not in the capacity as a government official. That’s why Ma’s election as KMT party chairman might allow him to meet with Hu since Hu would only be recognizing him as a party official and not as the head of Taiwan’s government. China can then say they met with a Chinese political party official and not an official of a “foreign” government and still maintain the “one China” political position.

By: Jason

Jason — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:37:22 +0000

What about Chiang Pin-kung? He was the Kuomintang’s vice chairman at that time and he still hold that post as of now.

By: Wukailong

Wukailong — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:40:55 +0000

@pug_ster: I’m not sure there is any law prohibiting it, but in general it seems that any ROC official that holds a ministerial post in the government are inadmissible both to the PRC and any country that has ratified the One China principle. Chen Shuibian has been refused a Schengen (EU) visa on at least one occasion because of the principle:

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-98901029.html

I’m sure the visits by Wu Boxiong, Lian Zhan and James Soong were OK because they didn’t hold any governmental posts at the time. That’s what so interesting with Ma Ying-jeou’s recent chairmanship – it might enable him to bypass this problem by going to the PRC as party leader. It’ll be interesting to see if he meets with Hu Jintao during the last years of his tenure.

By: pug_ster

pug_ster — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:07:24 +0000

@49 FOARP,

And? If you hadn’t noticed, all Taiwanese politics is not only unwelcome, but illegal under PRC law. Open display of KMT regalia is illegal, open debate without (never forthcoming) permission is not permitted, multi-party politics is non-existent – why should Taiwanese care what is welcome there?

Can you specify what clause in PRC law that Taiwanese politics are illegal? Second, recently there were KMT politicans who were welcomed in the mainland. Don’t tell me that they are they were smuggled into the mainland.

By: misa

misa — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:18:03 +0000

Michael Turton has some interesting comments on this issue:

http://michaelturton.blogspot.com/

By: pug_ster

pug_ster — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:27:06 +0000

China knows that they can’t stop Dalai Lama from coming to Taiwan. But when China sends their strong disapproval, I think China has accomplished its task. It has caused an uproar within between KMT and DPP. Re-unificationists within Taiwan protested. Dalai Lama didn’t say anything political and just did what he had to do in Taiwan. And the fact that China also announced of the formal routes between China and Taiwan is brilliant because China is sending a signal that China is a extending a hand to Taiwan, but not to the Dalai Lama.

By: Raj

Raj — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:01:14 +0000

Chen’s case is like in the days of old where the Emperor got rid of his political enemies.

You mean he’s being targetted by the KMT as revenge, or something? The case was brought before he left office.

I don’t see how the former president’s case shows that Taiwanese politics is going downhill. It might be that he has received relatively harsh treatment, being detained as a “flight risk” despite being one of the most recognisable people in Taiwan, not holding any foreign nationality, having agreed to give up his passport and having a personal guard assigned to him that never leaves his side. Certainly it seems strange that members of the KMT/businessmen affiliated to it so frequently get bail, even if many of them flee.

But that’s a different point.

By: Chops

Chops — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:21:31 +0000

@FOARP – punishing a President is a positive sign to his enemies and negative to his allies,
and that Clinton impeachment was downright silly.

Chen’s case is like in the days of old where the Emperor got rid of his political enemies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_exterminations

By: FOARP

FOARP — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:21:31 +0000

@Chops – Yes, because none of Chiang Kai-Shek’s family was ever involved in major crime, fraud, extortion, misappropriation, theft, murder, drug dealing, prostitution, racketeering etc. etc. etc.

. . . . or could it be that they were, but because Taiwan during the martial law period was a single-party dictatorship (as the PRC is now) none in power were ever punished for their crimes. Would you say that it is a positive sign or a negative sign if, say, George Bush Jr. were to be punished for his crimes whilst in office?