2014 太陽花學運：An On-Site Voice（在地聲音） by Taimocracy revised at 20140322（14:35）

【Comment】

這是本部落格網友合力的報導評論，代表我們對於學生與民主的一點致敬。

請網友大力轉傳國際媒體！拜託

An On-Site Voice（在地聲音）

by Taimocracy (2014.03.20)

revised on 20140322  1435

On the afternoon of March 17^th, the legislative chamber was a familiar mess.  Pan-green (the opposite Democratic Progressive Party etc.) and pan-blue (the ruling KMT) legislators were virtually wrestling under clusters of camera flashlights, when the chairman of the Interior Committee, a KMT billionaire legislator, announced in a hidden corner through a hidden microphone that the review of the “cross-strait service-trade pact” was done, and that the pact would come into effect automatically.

三月十七日下午，立法院是熟悉的混亂。綠藍立法委員在成堆閃光燈下角力拉扯，身為立院首富的會議主席則透過隱藏式麥克風宣布服貿協定自動生效。

It would have been yet another repetition of a uniform result in that specific chamber: the majority enjoying having the final say, the minority posing as heroic loser, and the media caricaturing democracy.  The decades-old struggle would have once again been dismissed as a farce, and muffled by both pan-blue and international media.

舊劇情原本會再重複一次：多數黨老大說了算，少數黨擺出悲情英雄的姿態，媒體嘲謔民主。數十年之久的掙扎，原本會再度被斥為鬧劇一場，並且被藍媒與國際媒體消音。

Yet, the old story finally had to derail.  The next day, students protesting outside the legislative complex suddenly swarmed in, and for the first time in Taiwan’s history occupied the chamber.

然而，老掉牙的劇情終究要出包。第二天，學生衝進去佔領立法院議事廳，台灣史上第一遭。

Try as the foreign and domestic media may to smear these young people by relating them to DPP or condemning their lack of proper manners or whatever, while many of us have been hypnotized by the China-minded ROC government, these young activists are among the few single-minded defenders of Taiwan’s democracy.  These “pampered” kids see straightforwardly what the world has pretended not to see:

國內外媒體再怎麼以民進黨或沒禮貌來抹黑、轉移焦點，在我們很多人都接受心中只有中國的ROC政府催眠之時，這些年輕人是少數全心全意捍衛台灣民主的人。這些「媽寶」們直接了當地，看見別人假裝沒看見的東西：

They see the authoritarian arrogance of President and Chairperson of KMT Ma Ying-jeou in ordering KMT legislators, who always obey despite their seemingly harsh criticism against him, to illegally “legalize” the “cross-strait trade pact” on schedule.  But does anyone know what the schedule is and who has set a schedule?  These young activists believe it is a very bad idea for Ma to sabotage Taiwan’s hard-won democracy this way.

他們看見馬英九獨裁的傲慢。馬主席命令黨內立委如期通過服貿協定，立委唯命是從。但無人知曉所謂的期限從何而來？年輕人不喜歡馬這樣破壞辛苦得來的台灣民主。

The brave young people also see the danger of municipal administration falling into the hands of mafias and tycoons, who manipulate major construction plans at the cost of citizens’ shelters and, in some cases, even people’s lives.  On the first evening of the occupation of the legislative chamber, several young intruders, one of whom wielded a two-foot machete, came to violently intimidate the students, just before the appearance of an infamous pro-unification celebrity.  The incident reaffirmed the students’ concerns about the underworld thriving under Ma’s rule.

勇敢的年輕人看見縣市淪入黑道與商人的手中，這些人控制了大型的建設計畫，不惜犧牲人民的房子甚至生命。佔領立院當晚，好幾位年輕人闖入(其中一人還揮舞著兩英呎長的刀刃)，衝撞這些學生，接著，贊成統一的黑道老大出現。這事再度確認學生對黑道治國的疑慮。

In addition to seeing democracy ruined and a mafia thriving, our young people witness governmental hostility.  Bullying in the army shocked the whole island last year.  But the government’s abuse is not limited to violence and intimidation in the military.  These days, the youthful demonstrators have experienced the authority’s hostility toward citizens that think differently.  On entering the building, the students found that they were besieged by police and denied toilets and air-conditioning.  Then, wireless Internet was interfered with, making it difficult for them to communicate with the outside world. These young activists were treated like enemies rather than citizens.  But, does the Ma administration copy the response pattern of Beijing, Libya, Egypt, Syria, etc.?

除了看見政府破壞民主機制、引進黑道之外，我們的年輕人還見證了政府的敵意。去年軍中霸凌震撼整個台灣，但是政府的暴力並不限於軍中。這些日子，年輕人體驗到當局對持有異議的公民懷著敵意。一進入立院，學生就發現自己被警方包圍，廁所不能去，冷氣沒有。接著，無線網路塞車，對外聯繫困難。也就是說，這些年輕的民運者被當作敵人看待，而不是公民。

And the outside world calls the ruling KMT party a strong advocate of democratic values?

而外界竟說執政的KMT堅定維護民主價值？

The world needs to check Thomas Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points (January 8, 1918), the first point of which states: “Open covenants of peace must be arrived at, after which there will surely be no private international action or rulings of any kind, but diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and in the public view.”

這世界該看看威爾森總統的《十四點原則》，其中第一項這麼說：「必須公開締結和約，嗣後不可有任何形式的私密行動或規則，而外交應坦誠進行，並公諸於世。」

Unfortunately, Ma has a backroom style of decision-making.  He works out domestic policies and international treaties with the advice of just a few confidants, never bothering to consult related government authorities or citizens.  For him, democracy is more of a buzzword than a practice, and he probably feels more like an elected-emperor than a president of the people.

很不幸，馬習慣密室做決策。他決定國內外政策與協定時，只跟幾位密友商量，從不管相關的單位與人民。對他而言，民主只是個口號，不是實踐。他也可能自覺是個皇帝，而不是總統。

In order to maintain regional stability, cross-strait peace is imperative.  However, in handling the interaction with China, it is extremely hazardous to disregard professional evaluations and warnings from governmental institutes, and being willfully ignorant of domestic industrial needs and public sentiments.

為了維持區域安定，兩岸和平是必要的。但是，在處理與中國的互動時，就算可以剛愎不理睬產業需求與人民感受，罔顧政府機構的專業評估與警告卻是極為冒險之事。

Ma’s domestic mal-administration has led to soaring prices in property and cost of living, a rising unemployment rate, and widespread mistrust of the government.  As for cross-strait relationships, China is isolating Taiwan from the rest of world step by step.  Most inhabitants of Taiwan, not to mention scholars of China, believe that a political takeover will soon follow the economic unification.

馬的內政無能，已導致房地產與物價飆漲、失業率提高、以及人民普遍對政府不信任。至於兩岸關係，中國正逐步孤立台灣。台灣大部分居民認為，經濟統一之後就是政治接管。中國學者也持此看法。

And that is the reason that the students are insisting that the legislature review the agreement clause by clause, list the withdrawal or suspension of the pact as alternative options, and renegotiate the pact if necessary.  They have clearly sensed the possibility of their home country being ruined by selfish politicians and their parties.

正因為如此，學生堅持要逐條審查協定，並將撤銷或暫停執行列為選項，必要時重起談判。他們明顯感覺到，家鄉可能會毀於自私的政客與政黨。

Ma might still possess Permanent Residency of the US, as well as Citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) by birth under the British Nationality Act 1948.  If that is the case, it can be easily understood why Ma may be overlooking the interests of Taiwan.  With a president who might have lied about everything from pragmatic management of the country to his other nationalities that he will not speak of, the worried students don’t have much choice.

馬可能仍有美國居留權以及因出生香港而依據《1948年不列顛國籍法》擁有「聯合王國與殖民地」國籍。若如此，馬的全家與後代多數擁有外國籍且在外國居住，他有十足理由無需關心真正的台灣利益。有這樣一個說謊的總統，從實務的國家管理到他的國籍都可以撒謊，憂心的學生們實在沒甚麼選擇。

So, let us criticise the politicians, blue or green, as we like, but leave those bold young people alone!  They are color-free, the only hope of Taiwan’s future!

所以，我們儘管抨擊藍綠政客，但是別傷這些大膽的年輕人。他們沒有顏色，是台灣未來的唯一希望！