Lessons from the World to Democratic Taiwan

While everywhere else looks to Taiwan as a shining beacon of a thriving democratic nation in Asia, Taiwan is having trouble keeping itself that way. Fears that toxic nationalism and anti-democratic forces under radical right-wing movements are gaining traction in democracies throughout the globe, following conservative notions observed in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and now possibly Taiwan.

The results from Taiwan’s recent national referendum, though disappointing to those in pursuit of liberal and progressive ideals, is a strong reminder to the good people of Taiwan that its democratic, free society cannot be taken for granted.

A month ago, Taiwan proudly played host to the first Oslo Freedom Forum in Asia, at which a large number of human rights activists and freedom advocates gathered and shared knowledge in Taipei. Taiwan was chosen as the host because it has a role to play in the region as a modern, democratic nation for others to learn from. The speakers at the forum all note that strong, well-consolidated democracies in Asia are few and far between, and that Taiwan need only look to its neighbours to understand how democracies, even ones that had carried the hopes of its people, can easily take a turn for the worse.

Cambodia was a democracy, but only for a brief moment: there were multiple parties competing in national elections; a dynamic civil society; and independent media after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. And yet the government receded back into autocracy. According to Cambodia’s opposition politician and human rights activist Mu Sochua, factional fighting and economic influence from China are reasons for the death of Cambodia’s democracy. Reasons that hit close to home for Taiwan, too.

Mu Sochua (photo by Guang-hui Chuan)

Sochua, now living in exile, had been an elected member of the Cambodian parliament since late 2017, but her opposition party has since been dissolved by Prime Minister Hun Sen, allowing his ruling party in the last questionable election to win 125 out of 125 seats in the legislature.

Russia also quickly returned to autocratic rule, even as its short-lived democracy was celebrated when the Soviet Union collapsed. Vladimir Kara-Murza, Russian democracy activist, said also at the forum Russia neglected to fully break with its communist totalitarian past, combined with a lack of international support for Russia’s new democracy, led to today’s situation.

Vladimir Kara-Murza (photo by Guang-hui Chuan)

The forum took place right before Taiwan’s elections and referendums, but their stories seem even more poignant for Taiwan now. When social movements such as reform of Taiwan’s Olympic team name, or for Taiwan’s LGBTQ related rights, are voted down, they are missed opportunities to make tangible the civil liberties and identities of its citizens. It risks Taiwan’s global credibility as a free and tolerant nation. It compromises its soft power and international reach that it is still struggling to build. In its wake, it tells the world of Taiwan’s discord and defeatism for its own independence.

Taiwan’s constitutional court had already ruled that the government must legislate for same-sex marriage by next year, and referendums on LGBTQ related rights were almost moot. They were first and foremost a tactic by conservative groups to prolong the controversy and rally their supporters. When Australia was also made to go through a seemingly redundant referendum on marriage equality last year, the backlash on the Australian government was enormous. Australians saw it as a waste of time and money, a mere survey for something its parliament should have passed from the get-go.

Much like Australia, Taiwan had no need for a referendum on marriage equality. Allowing conservative groups to push for a referendum despite this constitutional ruling enabled a platform for anti-democratic movements to take root. Though the overwhelming vote against marriage equality does not supersede the constitution, the damage is done, causing a lean towards a “separate but equal” civil union of same-sex couples rather than marriage equality. This and the failed vote to participate as ‘Taiwan’ instead of ‘Chinese Taipei’ in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics portrayed a society at odds and a lack of leadership on the part of the administration on deeply controversial social issues.

Both Sochua and Kara-Murza shared with me their hopes for Taiwan’s citizens to protect their democratic institutions. Kara-Murza said, “You’re in Taiwan. You have a successful and thriving democratic system, which you managed to save and keep, and maintain and expand and develop, which cannot be said about Russia. We are fighting to have the rights and freedoms of our citizens respected. We’re trying to get those rights and freedoms that you already have. Trust me, it’s much more difficult to fight to get it back than to not lose it in the first place.”

“The people of Taiwan must understand very, very clearly, that they need to remain politically active.”, spoke Sochua.

Through the likes of Cambodia and Russia, the lesson is clear and resounding: Democracies only survive because its citizens defends them. It is important for Taiwan to not have a false sense of security and take its freedoms for granted. It requires an extremely active civil society, and a government that is unwavering and unapologetic in leading the nation with the democratic values its independent identity was built upon.

Taiwan still has a chance to retain its place as a pioneering democracy in the Asia region. Taiwan must learn from these mistakes and be a greater champion of democracy, as it had done during the 1990 Wild Lily movement and the 2014 Sunflower movement.

Looking through history, we know democracy can be extremely fleeting – a precious, hard-earned resource that needs vigilant nurturing and protection. Taiwan has toiled through one of the longest periods of martial law in history, having come out of it only in 1987 thanks to civil movements united under the banners of equality, human rights and independence. It has been 33 years since then. That’s not so long ago—has Taiwan forgotten?

(Feature photo of Mu Sochua by Guang-hui Chuan)