Taiwan: Pushing China Towards Democracy?
Wang Dan, an exiled leader of the 1989 Chinese pro-democracy protest, stated that Taiwan's next ruling party should list China's democratization as a condition for possible political talks with Beijing.
Below is an article published by Focus Taiwan:
“Whether it is the current ruling Kuomintang (KMT) or the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the next ruling party should make this a condition”, said Wang, who was one of the students that led the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.
The DPP, in particular, should "consider all options as long as China is willing to move toward democracy," Wang said at a DPP seminar on human rights in China.
Such a proposal will put the DPP in a better strategic position, Wang said.
Speaking on the 24th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests, Wang said Taiwan could also ask China to make amends for the bloody crackdown on the 1989 protests, as a condition to cross-Taiwan Strait political talks.
DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang urged Beijing to face up to the 1989 incident squarely and restore justice in the society to narrow the gap between the ruling elite and the people, a development that he said will be vital to a solid foundation for cross-strait exchanges.
Former DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen, in a Facebook post, also urged China to begin moving toward democracy "as soon as possible" as it faces an irreversible trend of an increasingly powerful civil society.
Meanwhile, several DPP lawmakers have proposed in the Legislature that Taiwan take steps to commemorate the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests.
It has been proposed that the National Palace Museum and National Museum of Taiwan History designate special zones and hold exhibitions to commemorate the historic protests that sought to bring about freedom and democracy in China, according to DPP Legislator Kao Jyh-peng.
Such exhibits will draw attention to the once proactive efforts of Chinese civil society, Gao said, noting that the 1989 incident remains taboo in China and many Chinese students and tourists in Taiwan usually visit the two museums.
Taiwan could work with the Tiananmen Square memorial center in Hong Kong to hold exhibitions and activities in tribute to the victims of the incident, said Gao, one of several DPP legislators pushing for some form of commemoration in Taiwan.
