Walking in Taiwan
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February 26, 1998
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Thubten Jigme Norbu (center) sits in the office of Formosa Television with Trong R. Chai (left), Ph.D., Legislator and President of FTV and Erkin Alptekin (right) a representative of Eastern Turkistan before they are to take part in a interview for Taiwanese television.
The television interview gave each representative an opportunity to speak about their position regarding their respective countries, the PRC and the benefits of supporting each other.
Norbu began by calling this gathering a "very important turning point," and warned the Taiwanese to be mindful of the PRC's intentions when the speak of reunification. "I think you people understand what has happened to us since they took over Tibet in 1949. I think the whole country has become like a prison and graveyard. This is what I think of course the world will always have some atrocities and disasters, but we Tibetans are facing something completely different. Hour to hour, day to day, month to month and year to year Tibetans are suffering. I'm lucky, I'm a free Tibetan living in the United States. I think we should tell the suffering we are facing and what the Chinese government is doing in Tibet. I think it is very important that our Taiwanese friends know what happened to us. I have walked for Tibet's independence three times in the United States, and shared with Taiwanese who walked with me about our suffering. Some of you probably think very nice soft lying words of the Chinese is something you can work out with them. I think that's just maybe your dream. That will never happen."
From Eastern Turkistan Erkin Alptekin adds, "I am an Uighur here to talk about the plight of our people who are under Chinese communist rule today at home. Since 1949 my country has been under Chinese communist rule. People who want to live in dignity are tortured, arrested and executed. According to Amnesty International reports, in the year 1997 more than 100,000 Uighurs where arrested and many arrested where tortured. During the torture many Uighurs lost their lives. Also Amnesty International reports in 1997 more than 1000 Uighurs have been executed only on the basis that they wanted to live with their dignity. This situation has turned Eastern Turkistan into a time bomb. Uighurs are fighting for survival at the moment and lots of anti-Chinese demonstrations and uprisings and even bombings have been reported to have taken place in many parts of Eastern Turkistan.
Anwar Yusuf continues the list of Eastern Turkistan's sorrowful facts by stating, "China continues to apply inhuman acts such as using our land as a nuclear testing center and nuclear dumping ground. This has devastated our environment. We admire the courage and struggle of Taiwanese people for democracy, human rights and self-determination. Taiwanese people have worked very hard to achieve what they have today politically and economically. We don't want Taiwan to lose it's dignity, prosperity, freedom and human rights like we lost ours. Once you lost your freedom you have lost everything. So we have to work together and fight together against our common enemy the PRC.
Tashi Jamyangling points out that, "our world is supposed to be a civilized world. Now if that is the general understanding then I believe that people's aspirations and fundamental rights should be respected by all individuals, organizations and governments. This is something which is not happening in the case of the Tibetan people, the Mongolians, the Eastern Turkistanis and this rule applies in the case of Taiwan's future as well. I think it is important for all of us to have the guts to stand up and say to our government and to our oppressors, 'Look here! Whether or not you are going to respect my rights and my liberty is another matter, but for our part we are never going to say yes to force, yes to tyranny, yes to atrocity.'"
Referring to his political position Jamyangling states, "I am a Tibetan and my leader is His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and if necessary I can give my life for Him, but as far as my political orientation is concerned I am a follower of Thubten Jigme Norbu and I say to you, as far as I'm concerned, my right is total Tibetan independence and nothing less than that. Now what kind of future you Taiwanese people want is something that you should think about. Think hard because it matters to you and it matters to me and it matters to the whole world."
Concluding the interview the following question was put forth: From your perspective what can the Taiwanese people do together with you to help each other against the oppressor, China?
Norbu responds with, "Well now, I think we all must work together because our enemy is the same enemy so we must work hard and understand each other. For many decades we have each experienced communist mainland China and we should share these experiences with each other an learn."
Alptekin points out, "Taiwan is de facto sovereign independent country. Now the only thing they have to decide is whether they would like to be independent or except one country two systems. If Taiwanese people accept one country two systems they will be inheriting all of China's colonial countries and inheriting the atrocities done all these years against the people. Taiwanese have to be careful to decide whether they are going to be a part of that atrocity."
A visit to the Taiwanese Legislature.
Delegates meet with Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
With 45% of the votes in Taiwan's Legislature, the DPP is close to becoming Taiwan's ruling party. H. D. Su, a young up and coming member of the DPP tells us that the DPP is Taiwan's first political party to advocate for Taiwanese independence and is actively in the process of implementing this position. The DPP, we are also told, is pursuing official recognition of the Tibetan Government In-Exile and the abolition of the controversial Tibetan and Mongolian Affairs Commission (TMAC).
In a meeting with Liu Sung-pan (KMT), Erkin Alptekin (second from right) of Eastern Turkistan brings the following concern to the attention of the current Legislative Chairman.
"Sun Yat-sen, the first president of the Republic of China (ROC) and author of The Three Principles of the People, the basic political doctrine of the Kuomintang (KMT) government said in his plan that these peoples: Tibet, Eastern Turkistan, Inner Mongolians had the right for self determination. It is there in black and white. But because of internal problems in China, before the communist Japanese occupation, it was later stated this could not be realized. Now since 1949, Uighurs are faced with the danger of total assimilation. They are now in a struggle for survival. Because of this oppression‹cultural assimilation and economic exploitation‹the people are forced to defend their cultural identity. That is why so much violence is going on in Eastern Turkistan. When you say reunification then would Taiwan be ready to inherit all these atrocities, or will Taiwan first talk to the government of China and say we have a country and democratic pluralistic system, free elections and tolerance. Will you ask if China is ready to accept these terms? If they don't accept these terms and you reunify you will inherit the present policies of the Chinese government. This is our worry. If, as you said earlier, you do not have to declare independence because Taiwan is already an independent country with a constitution, are you then going to change your constitution? Currently the constitution says that you raise claim on China and you raise claim also to the non-Chinese peoples, the Tibetans, Eastern Turkistanis and Inner Mongolians. These are the problems we are faced with and would like to know your opinion in this respect."
In response Sung-pan states, "In my personal belief everybody is entitled to pursue the realization of these ideals. Unfortunately, before these personal ideals are realized one may be dominated by other views. Our constitution was formulated in 1946. The requirement for a constitutional amendment is 3/4 of the members of the National Assembly shall give their approval. Currently the KMT hasn't the sufficient votes to amend this part of the constitution with regard to Mongolia, Tibet and East Turkistan. Before personal ideas can be realized it is, unfortunately, a historical fact is that these people were dominated by other peoples.
As far as the relation with the PRC relation with our government is concerned we insist upon the premises of democracy, freedom and equality before we can enter into negotiations about reunification. So far these conditions of negotiations have not been met."
In contrast to the earlier meeting with the KMT Chairman, the delegates meet with the DPP Taipei Mayor, Chen Shui-bain. Shui-bain is seen as a possible Taiwanese presidential candidate brought some words of hope to today's meeting by stating, "we would like to help you gain your independence and sovereignty in anyway we can." After acknowledging the 1000 miles that Thubten Jigme Norbu has walked to fight for Tibet's independence, Shui-bain welcomed the delegation to commemorate the 228 (February 28) Taiwanese massacre of 1947. "In the past 51 years the Taiwanese people have struggled for independence and democracy. Though we have made some progress in the past few years we have not done enough. Taiwan, as a sovereign country in the world, we have not gained sufficient recognition from world powers. This is an unjust situation that we are going to correct."
To the Mayor of Taipei Thubten Jigme Norbu replied, "Well Mr. Mayor this is really great opportunity and privileged for us to be here today and meet with you and talk about our problem. Also my friends and colleagues from Eastern Turkistan and Inner Mongolia, I'm sure they enjoy it here too. Now we come here to share with you what we are looking for in our future, our destiny. The Chinese communist brutal government invaded us in 1949. We suffered all that time and today we come to share this with you. I think your goal and our goal is exactly the same goal. Your people and our people are working for sovereignty and joining the world community. I think we must work together. Share our experiences and give advice to each other. You people here in Taiwan have been building your nation. Tibetans, Eastern Turkistanis and Inner Mongolians they have been dominated by this brutal government for all these years. Every day there are tortures and executions. People are pulled out from their homes and put in jail for just saying words like independence. We must work together and help our people at home."
Mayor Chen Shui-bain: "As you may know Taiwanese advocating for independence in the past can be sentenced to death and people overseas advocating the same agenda would be blocked from coming back to their own country. They would be put onto the Blacklist. A very heavy punishment was put on people advocating the sovereignty, liberty and freedom of their own people, therefore we cherish the freedom and liberty we enjoy today, however there are further goals. We will share our experience and hopefully we will accomplish our goals in the near future.
You have not accomplished your goals 100%, however your struggles and efforts in the past have certainly brought the respect of many people in the world. I envy the accomplishments of the Tibetan Government In-Exile. As you know, President Lee of the Republic of China went to Cornell University a few years ago and Taiwan has suffered the consequences ever since. Currently the Vice President is visiting in the Middle East. He had to sneak out of this country in order to avoid the repression from China. We envy the Dalai Lama as he may visit any country he wishes and he can even visit the President of the United States. Although the sadness of Tibet has not been corrected, I envy your accomplishments and would like to point that out."
Johngar Bache (left) of the Inner Mongolian People's Party, deeply touched by the image of Ghenghis Khan found hanging on the wall of this meeting room, commented, "I was brought up in China and when I was there I could not hang this portrait of Ghenghis Khan in my home. I could only do that after I arrived in the United States." Bache pressed the viewpoint of high ranking officials in China that Taiwan and its democracy is one of the biggest problems left facing China today. "If Taiwan can achieve its independence," Bache stated, "that means that Inner Mongolia will have the same goal in the future very soon."
To this Taipei Mayor Shui-bain remarked, "I also welcome the association between the Mongols and my people, though in the past the working relationship between the two groups has not appeared to be successful resulting in an unfamiliarness between the two groups of people, since I have been the Mayor of Taipei I have pushed for a city policy and just last year I built a sisterhood between Mongolia's capitol and the capitol of Taiwan. With your advise and experiences I hope we can push this agenda further."
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