A nation must think before it acts.
In the middle of last month, Taiwan celebrated the 30th anniversary of the end of nearly 40 years of martial law. To mark the occasion, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said: “Today is the time to salute the great Taiwanese people… Only by believing that people are the driving force to move the nation forward can Taiwan’s democracy continue to move forward.”
The strides that Taiwan and its people have made in developing its democracy as well as free speech and freedom of the press should rightfully be celebrated.
On that momentous day in 1987, a US Department of State spokesman said: “Over the past months, Taiwan has made significant progress toward increased democracy and respect for human rights… We believe that the lifting of martial law is an important event that symbolizes the commitment of the Taiwan authorities to continue this process.”
That process and progress have continued into the present.