Concern for Taiwan’s Future

The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan’s Support for the “318 (March 18th) Sunflower Student Movement” and Concern for Taiwan’s Future

February 8 – March 24, I was in Taiwan for another 6-week visit to help four Indigenous Bible translation teams with their review work. I hope to share some reflections about the translation work in future Blog posts. Most of my visit was spent on the east coast and the south end of the island. However on March 20th, I made my way north to Taipei where I encountered the most unexpected events. March 20-24, I stayed at the YMCA which is two short blocks away from the nation’s capital buildings. I was surprised those days to find streets nearby full of university students, some walking, some sitting, all very peaceful—and to see police in riot gear with shields and batons, also peaceful until early morning on the 24th when they used water-canons to clear away some of the student protesters. “What is going on?” I wondered.

Imagine several hundred Canadian university students from across the country going to Ottawa, entering an empty House of Commons at night, barring the doors, then conducting a peaceful sit-in for over 15 days to pressure the Government to be more transparent with the nation’s people in regard to a proposed “Trade & Services Pact” with China.

Events like this have been happening in Taipei since March 18, 2014. On that date several hundred university students occupied the Legislative Yuan (Taiwan’s House of Commons) where they have been conducting a peaceful sit-in and protest against the KMT Government and its trade policies with China. The protest continues to this day (April 4th). The students’ non-violent takeover of the Legislative Yuan, and a public rally on March 30th with as many as 500,000 citizens, mark an unprecedented national event which demonstrates the people’s deep concern for the future of Taiwan.

The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) has shown strong support for the students. The Moderator and the General Secretary of the PCT, plus ministers and staff from the PCT’s General Assembly Office, have visited and prayed with the students both inside and outside the Legislative Yuan. Students and professors from each of the PCT’s three seminaries have also visited the student protesters to show their solidarity and support. Ministers and elders from PCT Presbyteries around the island have been taking turns visiting the Legislative Yuan to encourage the students and to raise awareness throughout Taiwan about these important political and economic issues.

On March 22nd, the PCT’s General Assembly Executive Committee made an official statement:

“An Affirmation and Appeal concerning the Students Public Demonstration against the illegal adoption of the Service and Trade Pact with China” which states:

The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) affirms the non-violent action of many students who based on their conscience, occupied the Legislative Yuan on the evening of 18 March 2014. Their motivation is to demonstrate their love for Taiwan and protect Taiwan’s democracy against the government’s lack of transparency; this student movement is symbolically known as the “Black Box” in Taiwan.

At the same time, the PCT affirms the support of countless students, civil organizations and political parties from across the island which also joined in this protracted struggle. These initiatives created a momentous opportunity for Taiwan’s democratization, heightened the concern for Taiwan’s public affairs, and prevented using the economy and commerce to threaten Taiwan’s independence and sovereignty.

At the instruction of President Ma Ying-Jeou, the ruling party (KMT Kuo-min-tang) Legislator, Chang Ching-Chung, co-convenor of the legislature’s Internal Administrative Committee (IAC), announced without discussion that the Pact had passed the IAC review and would be sent to the legislative floor for consideration. After the announcement, he adjourned the IAC catching the legislators by surprise. Chang’s actions are in serious violation of due process and represent the habitual bullying tactic of using majority rule to ram through measures that favor the ruling party and its business interests. Dismissing the inalienable right and privilege of the people of Taiwan, these actions are reminiscent of the dictatorship era and threaten to destroy the democratization that took years to construct.

The PCT’s deep concern for Taiwan’s future is rooted in its faith. On August 16, 1977, it issued “The PCT Statement on Human Rights” stressing that Taiwan must be a new independent nation and that this future must be based on a national plebiscite. This position is also based on the PCT Confession of Faith which states that “the church is called through love and suffering to become a sign of hope”. Many of PCT leaders and members participate in these demonstrations and activities to witness to their faith and to protect and preserve our country—Taiwan.

Our church, therefore:

  1. Affirm the students to continue their non-violent public demonstration requesting the Ma Ying-Jeou administration to rescind the trade and service pact in respect of Taiwan’s democratic rule.
  2. Appeals to all the PCT leaders and members to take concrete action to participate in activities that protect and preserve Taiwan’s democracy; and to continue to pray fervently for all the young students, civil organizations and the general public involved in the demonstrations.

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;

but when the wicked rule, the people groan. Proverbs 29:2 [RSV]

Rev. HSU Rong-Feng　　　　　　　　　　　　　Rev. Lyim Hong-Tiong
PCT Moderator 58th General Assembly　　　　　　PCT General Secretary

(English translation based on the Chinese Original Issued on 22 March 2014 by the General Assembly Executive Committee of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan.)

For the full text & photos, please see: http://english.pct.org.tw/enNews_pct.aspx?strBlockID=B00176&strContentid=C2014032800002&strCTID=&strDesc=Y&strPub=&strASP=enNews_pct

On March 24th, the PCT’s General Assembly issued a press release: “Condemn the State Violence — Pursue Justice and Peace” in response to the Government’s rough handling of a second group of university students who had tried to occupy the Executive Yuan the previous evening. (http://english.pct.org.tw/enNews_pct.aspx?strBlockID=B00176&strContentid=C2014032800003&strCTID=&strDesc=Y&strPub=&strASP=enNews_pct and

http://www.pct.org.tw/news_church.aspx?strBlockID=B00001&strContentid=C2014032400001&strCTID=&strDesc=Y&strPub=&strASP=news_church&v=1 with online photos)

The following link on the PCT’s official website shows ministers from the PCT’s General Assembly Executive Committee meeting in the Legislative Yuan and praying for the main protesters of the “318 Sunflower Student Movement”: http://www.pct.org.tw/news_pct.aspx?strBlockID=B00006&strContentid=C2014032500017&strCTID=&strDesc=Y&strPub=&strASP=news_pct&v=1

On March 26th, students and professors of the PCT’s Taiwan Theological Seminary and the PCT’s Indigenous Yu-Shan Theological Seminary (both partners with Knox College in Toronto) issued public statements in support of the protest against the “Service and Trade Pact” with China:

http://www.pct.org.tw/news_church.aspx?strBlockID=B00001&strContentID=C2014030700001&strDesc=Y

http://www.pct.org.tw/news_church.aspx?strBlockID=B00001&strContentID=C2014032600001&strDesc=Y

Meanwhile students from Tainan Theological Seminary have been onsite at the Legislative Yuan singing their faith and their support for the other students:

http://www.pct.org.tw/news_pct.aspx?strBlockID=B00006&strContentid=C2014032600015&strCTID=&strDesc=Y&strPub=&strASP=news_pct&v=1

Rev Lo Yung-kong former General Secretary of the PCT forwarded me these two short YouTube clips (with English) of young students speaking out on behalf of Taiwan’s young democracy:

(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXimb1ZQvFc

The PCT invites partner churches like our own Presbyterian Church in Canada and Christian friends around the world to pray for God’s peace and justice to permeate all of Taiwan’s institutions and Taiwan’s society at large. Please pray for and support the PCT as it seeks to be a “sign of hope” as it shares the Good News of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God through love, solidarity and non-violent action. For more news about the ongoing student protest and Taiwan’s current political and economic situation, you can follow daily news reported by the Taipei Times (http://www.taipeitimes.com/News) as well as news from the PCT’s General Assembly Office on the official PCT website (http://english.pct.org.tw/ — the PCT’s Han character website has even more news and photos for those brave enough to try surfing it: http://www.pct.org.tw/).

On March 27th, the PCC’s East Toronto Presbytery received the following statement from our friends at Toronto Formosan Presbyterian Church and other Taiwanese churches in Canada. They also invite our prayers and support:

Taiwanese Christian Churches in Canada Joint Statement

regarding the misuse of violence to Protestors in Taiwan

We affirm the event on March 18, 2014 that Taiwanese students, out of their conscience, actively protect the democracy in Taiwan by taking over the Legislative Yuan. We also acknowledge those from both in Taiwan and abroad who support these young students. The students’ action has raised international awareness of the situation in Taiwan.

President Ma-Ying-jeou’s administration signed a controversial service trade pact with China and passed the pact without legislative review despite widespread concerns from the public. The Ma administration responded to the protests by ordering the National Police Agency against unarmed protestors, and resulted in hundreds of injuries. There has been a growing concern about Taiwan’s young democracy heading backward.

Based on our Christian belief, and our concern for Taiwan, we strongly condemn the use of violence against the unarmed, weaponless protestors. We urge the following:

1) President Ma’s administration to cease the use of violence on protestors.

2) President Ma’s administration to respect the concerns from the public, and to retract the controversial pact with China.

3) Christians who are concerned about the situation in Taiwan to actively participate to protect Taiwan’s future.

4) Christians who are concerned about the situation in Taiwan to pray for Taiwan.

Joint Statement from Taiwanese Christian Churches in Canada

Thanks for your prayers and support.

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