The Power of Civilization

Well known Taiwanese writer, Long Ying Tai gave a speech in Peking University recently. In her topic of “the Power of civilization – from home worry to the island of beauty”, she wishes the emergence of China is through the power of civilization. And accordingly to her, the measurement for a civilization for a city is the treatment to mental patients; the service to handicaps; the care to widows and lonely persons; and the treatment to workers and the lower class. To a country, the, measurement should be how the country treats the foreigner migrants and the minority. She will also observe how the 1.3 billion (Chinese) people treat the 23 million (Taiwan) people.

Taiwan experienced a big increase in population from mainland China when the Nationalists were defeated by the Communists. More than 2 million mainlanders escaped to Taiwan during the period. Chiang Kai-shek also imposed martial law in Taiwan and there was no democracy and freedom of speech until the late 1980s. This led to many resistances, protests and one of the famous one is “the island of beauty” incidence.

The change in population structure also resulted to conflicts between local Taiwan peoples and mainlanders. The more intellectual mainlanders traditionally occupied important positions in government and business. Even today, the blue and green political (as well as culture and language) divide can also trace its root to big inflow of mainlanders.

Singapore is also experiencing a big inflow of foreigners. More than one-third of our residence population are now not locally born. What can we learn from Taiwan in solving our issues of citizen’s expectation versus economic development? Before touching on this, we may need to first solve the great affective divide in society – a debate on the reality between citizen’s needs and government policy.

Long’s conclusion remarks touched on the freedom of speech. She wishes perhaps also in her dream that the future Chinese can speak on any topics without fear in any evenings and in any places. Her generation of people’s hope is to work hard to make sure next generation to have the freedom without fear.

Coincidentally, Singapore writer Catherine Lim in her interview with a BBC programme also touched on the topic of freedom and fear. Lim first brought up the issue of A Great Affective Divide in the 1990s.

Have they all noticed the Great Divide in the society through the writer’s eyes!