The Day for an Independent Taiwan
On September 8th, yesterday local date here in Taiwan, a “Taiwan National Flag” was raised in the open square before the Presidential Office Building in Taipei, attended by some ten thousand people. An organization active for an Independent Taiwan called for the people to remember that September 8th, 1951, when the Peace Treaty was signed in San Francisco, was actually the begining of Taiwan as a free nation no longer under the yoke of any persons or nations. They demand the government to make September 8th as a national holiday.
The event started with five representatives each reciting a “Taiwan Repubkic Campaign Stqatement” in languages such as Taiwanese(Holo), Chinese(Mandarin), English, Japanese and German. The statement stressed the need to abolish the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution, terminate the ROC system of government, promote a new constitution for the Taiwan Republic and inplement of a new Taiwan republic system of government. After the statement, the crowd sang TAIWAN THE GREEN, a poem written by Professor Emeritus Tin Ji-Giok of Tainan Theological Seminay and set to music by a Taiwanese composer, Hsiao Tyzen, in 1988 and have becoming like a national anthem among Taiwanese everywhere. After singing the anthem, a version of Taiwan national Flag was raised and people waved flags and shouted “Taiwan Republic! Taiwan Republic!!” Incidently, the ROC national anthem was but a KNT’s party song.
Making September 8th as an Independent Taiwan’s national day has solid historical basis as already mentioned above. When the Peace Treaty after the WW II was signed in San Francisco on September 8th, 1951, in the Article Two, Section 2, Japan clearly and formally and simplly stated that Japan will thereafter abandon all her rights, titles and claims over Taiwan and Pinhu(Piscadores) Islands. No mentioning of any recipient for the titles, rights or claims whatsoever. In a seperate Peace Treaty between Taiwan(ROC) and Japan signed on April 28th, 1952, the day when the San Francisco took effect, it repeated the same words of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. Clearly Taiwan was set free and people of Taiwan became their own master. Sometimes so called Cairo or Potsdam declarations were cited to have mentioning of Taiwan’s return to China. But these declarations were actually only news communiques of the participants and there were no signatures. Clearly they do not have any legal authority as that of the Peace Treaties.
It was most unfortunate that Taiwan’s occupation as a former Japanese colony was assigned to ROC by then the Highest Commander of the Allied Forces in the Far East, General McArthur. After the demise of the ROC on China and under the ghost ROC’s continued occupation, Taiwan has been drown into an horrible Chinese quicksand. Although having 2300 million well educated people and ecconomically ranking among the top 30 some countries in the world, Taiwan is denied her rightful participation in all formal international scenes. The only viable and lasting solution seems to be rectification of her name. Calling Taiwan, TAIWAN! The pro-Taiwan Republic people strongly back the President Chen Sui-Bien who recently calls for rectification of Taiwan’s name and says that he will use Taiwan as the name for Taiwan’s UN membership. So, be it!