2002/04/11 Along Tan
Reactions to the comments by Dshan

   I would like to react to the comments from Dshan. 

   1) First of all, please study history before saying things that Taiwan is and always has been a part 
of China. You may not know but China only officially stated that Taiwan was part of China in the late 
19th Century and 15 years after that, signed the Shimonoseki Treaty with Japan stating that China was
giving up all sovereignty on Taiwan for PERPETUITY.  (In case you don't know it means forever.) And 
even after Japan surrendered after World War II, Japan signed the San Francisco Peace Treaty in 1951
saying that Taiwanese people shall have the right for auto determination. There was nothing saying that
Taiwan should go bo back to the PRC or even the ROC.  Taiwanese were supposed to have the right to 
determine themselves their own future.  So basically Taiwan was officially related to China for only 
15 years. Knowing that Taiwan has a history which dates back to more than 3000 years, the historical 
link between Taiwan and China is not so obvious anymore...

   2) Second, about our ancestors. I think my ancestors would jump out of their graves if Taiwan was to 
be part of China. My ancestors came to Taiwan more than 300 years ago in order to escape all the 
illnesses of China. They certainly did not want to go back or see Taiwan ruled by the same people ruling 
China.  Moreover, after settling here, like most Taiwanese, they mixed with the local people therefore 
creating a new identity which is the Taiwanese identity. During the Japanese era, like most Taiwanese 
they decided to stay in Taiwan and not go back to China. For your information, Japan gave the choice to 
all Taiwanese in 1895 to either stay in Taiwan and become Japanese or go back to China and become 
Chinese.  Well obviously 99.99% of Taiwanese rather stayed than go back to China. Furthermore both 
my grandparents fought for Japan during the war and received Japanese education so I would hardly believe 
they feel so closed to China.  So you Mr Dshan, Taiwanese do have their own identity and history which 
is separate from China, and they have always made sure that they are not assimilated to China.  I do not 
deny that we share some common cultural background with Chinese. But so do Americans with UK, so do 
Belgiums or Canadians from Quebec with France, so do Chinese Singaporeans with China and so on. Yet 
you will not see France claim sovereignty over Quebec or Belgium or even China does not claim sovereignty 
over Singapore even though almost 80% of the population comes from China.  Mr DShan you should let the 
people from Taiwan choose their own destiny and if you are just claiming Taiwan as part of China because 
of the civil war between the PRC and ROC which has no link with Taiwanese, then don't worry I do not 
support the ROC neither do I think the ROC is China. The ROC died in 1949 and ever since there has been 
one China, the PRC, and one Taiwan the soon to be Republic of Taiwan.
  
   3) Last thing: Like many Taiwanese I have been to China many times. I indeed think it is becoming a very
powerful and advanced country and I am happy for you.  But that has nothing to do with the fact Taiwan and
China are two separate countries. Just let Taiwanese choose their own destiny. 


Long live the Republic of Taiwan!