Date: Sat, 02 Nov 1996
From: Kai-hsu TAI
Subject: "Do I have to throw my passport into the Pacific?"
"Do I have to throw my passport into the Pacific?"
by Te, Khai-su
Most of us activists of Taiwan independence hold passports issued by
the Republic of China, and uses New Taiwan Dollars with Sun, Yat-sen
or Chiang, Kai-shek's picture and the words "Republic of China"
printed on the bank notes. People who are not yet convinced of our
cause usually challenge us by saying: "Hey, why don't you throw your
passport into the sea? You don't identify with ROC right, why don't
you just deny it wholesale?" Many of us, when asked, usually go stoic
and start doubting their political belief.
Well, don't go "loe-chi", don't be confused, but be strong. [:)]
Holding a ROC passport does not mean you have to be loyal to the ROC.
There is a theory called the "contract theory of citizenship". It says
that citizenship is merely a contract between the citizens and the
state. The citizens pay tax and serve other obligations while the state
provide them with protection and other rights. The citizens, in this
theory, have the right to stop paying tax and stop using the facilities
offered by the state; the state also have the right to stop providing
service to anyone who does not pay the tax. Also, the citizens have
the right to establish a better state so they can get better services
instead of having to live with the bad service the previous state
provides. "No hard feelings, man!" It's just like buying service from
the state. Some very cool countries such as Norge (Norway) abide with
this theory and ask their prospect citizen, upon reaching the prescribed
age (say 15), if they want to be a citizen or not.
Of course, ROC did not ask you if you want to be a citizen or not, and
you didn't choose to be born in a ROC-occupied region. Actually ROC
did not even ask a Taiwanese when they occupied Taiwan in 1945. ROC
totally ignored the contract theory of citizenship, and just jumped in
and said "Hey, you are all part of the good, big, happy family of the
Chinese Nationality!" and that is when it started issuing passports.
If you believe in the contract theory, you can just consider yourself
paying tax to the ROC to get some form of document to ensure your
basic human right to free travel.
But, ROC's travel service is obviously not good enough. Sometimes
some countries actively deny the right to free travel just_because_you
are holding a ROC passport, and ROC does not seem to do a very good job
in keeping its service efficient: we all know that there is two magic
words that give Taiwanese people international recognition and heart-
warming reception around the world, but ROC is just ignoring these
two words. Also, ROC restricts, without court order, some innocent
people (like me) their basic human right to leave their own country.
This is only in the travel sector. I am not going into other
oppression we are still suffering now.
Thus, we have every right and obligation to rebel and overthrow the
government so that we can establish a better state for our own good.
We ain't no Loyal Opposition, man!
"Can't we just get along?" you ask. Yup, if ROC releases all of its
exclusive privileges as a state, such the exclusive right to build
roads, issue passports, issue legal tender bank notes, so that we can
build our own roads and have users pay us, issue passports of Taiwan
Republic, issue our own money (all with caution and plan, of course),
then we can stop paying taxes to ROC and start paying taxes to Taiwan
Republic and we will have two states (or, at least, two authorities)
in the same geographical region of Taiwan. Which one will prevail
will just be a matter of the market. Yeah, I know this is wacky
thought. But it is creative, isn't it. No, I don't want this to
happen either, but it is feasible.
A more concrete plan for ROC and Taiwan Republic to get along is that
we establish our own country as Taiwan Republic, and we tolerate the
ROC government-in-exile in Taiwan. Two points of caution: This ROC
government-in-exile should not include Taiwan as its territory, or
this will not be a government-in-exile, and we will just have the case
described in the previous paragraph. Second is that tolerating a
Chinese government-in-exile in the country negatively influences
Taiwan Republic's bid of being a neutral state.
Well, these things have to be considered with caution anyway. The best
way is of course do a clean-cut Taiwan Republic with no more ado with
China whatsoever. I was just trying to say that there are many
possibilities and a TIer does not have to associate loyalty with the
authority that issued her/his passport.
If you still feel uncomfortable bearing a passport from "the enemy",
there_are_alternatives. One is that you can go and acquire another
passport of some other (more recognized, compared to what I am going
to say later) countries/authorities, as long as they allow you to
"rebel overseas" and you feel comfortable with whatever they want you
to affirm. Another option is to obtain a passport from one of the many
neutral organizations such as the World Service Authority (WSA,
http://www.worldcitizen.org/)
or Oceania (http://www.oceania.org/). The WSA also issues, among other
documents, International Exit Visa which ensures your basic human right
to exit any country (but recognition of such depends on the country in
question). I just applied for my passport and IEV from WSA.
DISCLAIMER:
I do not endorse any of these alternatives in this paragraph and will
not be held responsible for any of your own decision.
Yes, this is sensitive issue and I am just an amateur (but hardly
immature, however naive [:)] ) in law or politics; so feel free to
bring up any controversy so we will all benefit from this discussion.
Postscript: I plan to set up a web page dealing with ROC's violation
of basic human rights, restricting Taiwanese male over age 15 to leave
the country, among other things. If you have any info on this, please
send it to me.
--
hlo: TE3, Khai2-su7 | hak: TAI4, Khai3-si4
http://nanigani.caltech.edu
