Taiwan has shown that democracy, a political philosophy that originated in the West, can indeed flourish in Mandarin-speaking regions, according to Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun Feb. 1.
Although Taiwan was a much-repressed colony for centuries, the people remained courageous and held onto their ideals, You said. They never abandoned their pursuit of freedom and democracy despite suffering under decades of martial law and authoritarian rule after World War II, he added.
You made the remarks while participating in the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C.
According to You, since the end of the ban on forming political parties in 1986 pushed Chiang Ching-kuo to announce an end to martial law, collective public efforts led to regular parliamentary elections, direct presidential elections and peaceful transfers of power between political parties.
As Taiwan’s democratic system developed, the country proactively protected religious freedom, You said. This is evidenced by several international reports, including the Pew Research Center’s 2014 Religious Diversity Index, which ranked Taiwan second among 232 nations and areas; the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2022 Democracy Index, which ranked Taiwan eighth globally and first in Asia; and Freedom House’s 2022 Freedom in the World report, which gave Taiwan a full score of four for religious freedom as well as an overall score of 94 out of 100, he added.
Only the rise of democracy can guarantee peace, You said, adding that freedom of religion is a basic human right and core democratic value.
You also took the opportunity to thank the U.S. for helping maintain cross-strait peace over the last few decades and promoting bilateral exchanges with Taiwan in the fields of economics, technology, and culture. (DL-E)
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