Ethnic prejudice by WSR official

A classic example of the kinds of ethnic prejudice against Taiwanes that flourish in some mainlander circles.

[quote][Toronto-based GIO official] Kuo [[Kuan-ying (郭冠英)] became the center of a controversy after Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) last Wednesday alleged that Kuo had published numerous articles online that defamed Taiwan and Taiwanese using the pen name Fan Lan-chin (范蘭欽).

The articles referred to Taiwanese as taibazi (台巴子), meaning “Taiwanese rednecks” and wokou (倭寇), or “Japanese pirates.”

The author said “the imposition of martial law had been a benevolent act of the then government,” and that “[China] should spend many years suppressing [people in Taiwan] instead of granting any political freedom [to them] once it has taken Taiwan by force.”[/quote]

Yesterday and today the blue press has been bending over backwards to defend Kuo’s right to free speech and to accuse Kuan Bi-ling of fomenting ethnic strife. Classic full denial mode plus blame the victim.

At least the GIO has transferred this idiot back to Taiwan and referred him to a disciplinary body.

any more details? Like, websites, supposed biography and affiliations of this fan man?

keep us informed if you find more.

good find: exposing the Ugly WSR (apologies to Graham Greene).

My girlfriend read the postings and thought the tone was more one of “self-mockery” (自我嘲諷) than ethnic prejudice (she is a BSR). Possibly there has been an over-reaction, although as an overseas representative and given the ethnic tensions in Taiwan he should have been be more careful.
Remember there is also much ethnic prejudice directed against WSR, as well as Hakka and aborigines. Next time we see it, should we congratulate ourselves on exposing the “ugly BSR”?

View from Taiwan had a good overview.

The quotes above are from today’s Taipei Times.

[quote=“Mawvellous”]My girlfriend read the postings and thought the tone was more one of “self-mockery” (自我嘲諷) than ethnic prejudice (she is a BSR).
[/quote]

Your girlfriend is simply repeating Guo’s lame excuse that he was making fun of himself when he referred to himself as a “high class mainlander.”

[quote]
Possibly there has been an over-reaction, although as an overseas representative and given the ethnic tensions in Taiwan he should have been be more careful.
Remember there is also much ethnic prejudice directed against WSR, as well as Hakka and aborigines. Next time we see it, should we congratulate ourselves on exposing the “ugly BSR”?[/quote]

There has not been an “overreaction.”

While there are certainly BSR bigots out there as well, WSR bigots are able to simultaneously project their ethnic prejudices through the mainstream media here while claiming to be free of prejudice themselves as well as victims of supposed Hoklo chauvinism. It’s classic example of blaming the victims.

I just thought it was interesting that she has that interpretation, she is not partisan at all, and she is a native speaker so can understand the subtleties of the language better than us. I will ask her again about it.

[quote]
There has not been an “overreaction.”

While there are certainly BSR bigots out there as well, WSR bigots are able to simultaneously project their ethnic prejudices through the mainstream media here while claiming to be free of prejudice themselves as well as victims of supposed Hoklo chauvinism. It’s classic example of blaming the victims.[/quote]

Both WSR and BSR were victims under the two Chiangs, although the WSR were of course the favoured group, many of them also suffered during the white terror for alleged opposition to the regime. Is that what you are saying about “victims”?

As for the mainstream media, people seem to forget that there is plenty of green leaning mainstream media, although of course it is not as strong as the blue media. During the Chen regime, DPP figures often used the media to project their ethnic prejudices.

My main problem with Hoklo nationalism is that it is not inclusive of all of the groups on the island (WSR, Hakka, aboriginal). It is disappointing that the Chen government could not think of a more inclusive way to define Taiwanese identity. Until this is done, WSR will understandably be nervous about moves towards Taiwan independence. After all, who wants to be the minority in a newly independent country which is associated with the previous hated “colonizers”.

All bigots, on all seventeen sides of the fence, should be unhorsed, mocked and publicly shamed. No prejudice here!

My point is that this is not her interpretation. It is Guo’s interpretation.

This is more or less correct. By victims, I mean that Taiwanese (Hoklo) are the clear victims of Guo’s ethnic prejudice in this case and yet they are blamed for fomenting ethnic strife for pointing out Guo’s rebarbative views. This pattern of blaming the Taiwanese for ethnic prejudice in Taiwan when they are in reality the main victims is all too common. Indeed, you are repeating it below.

WSR imagine that they are a minority that will be oppressed in some future Hoklo state because they have guilty consciences and fear that scores will be settled. In the meantime, as the Guo case so clearly demonstrates, they indulge in their prejudices against the Hoklo majority now.

Other than Mad Annette Lu, please give some examples of the DPP using the media to project their ethnic prejudices. I hope you are not going to cite the case of former premier Yu Hsyi-kun’s alleged comment about ‘Chinese pigs’ since that has been conclusively shown to have been a pure invention of the blue press.

Couldn’t think of a more inclusive way? How about this from Chen’s second inaugural speech?

In addition, the DPP founded aboriginal and Hakka TV stations, funded language learning etc.

[quote]
Until this is done, WSR will understandably be nervous about moves towards Taiwan independence. After all, who wants to be the minority in a newly independent country which is associated with the previous hated “colonizers”.[/quote]

No, they don’t want to be a minority in a country where their privileges have been taken away.

[quote=“Feiren”]A classic example of the kinds of ethnic prejudice against Taiwanes that flourish in some mainlander circles.

[quote][Toronto-based GIO official] Kuo [[Kuan-ying (郭冠英)] became the center of a controversy after Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) last Wednesday alleged that Kuo had published numerous articles online that defamed Taiwan and Taiwanese using the pen name Fan Lan-chin (范蘭欽).

The articles referred to Taiwanese as taibazi (台巴子), meaning “Taiwanese rednecks” and wokou (倭寇), or “Japanese pirates.”

The author said “the imposition of martial law had been a benevolent act of the then government,” and that “[China] should spend many years suppressing [people in Taiwan] instead of granting any political freedom [to them] once it has taken Taiwan by force.”[/quote]

Yesterday and today the blue press has been bending over backwards to defend Kuo’s right to free speech and to accuse Kuan Bi-ling of fomenting ethnic strife. Classic full denial mode plus blame the victim.

At least the GIO has transferred this idiot back to Taiwan and referred him to a disciplinary body.[/quote]

I haven’t read the original text but I was guessing it could have been largely tongue in cheek and needed to be read in context (although he shouldn’t have said anything at deserves to be fired as a govt. official).

My first impression when I read about this a few days ago was that it was a kind of joke or even a form of trolling. Maybe it’s a repressed guy’s little bit of naughty fun, expressing attitudes that are politically unacceptable just to shock people and get a rise out of them. You every heard of that kind of stuff before on websites? :wink: :laughing:

The bigotry is bad enough, but to me treason is even worse:[quote]China should spend many years suppressing people in Taiwan instead of granting any political freedom to them once it has taken Taiwan by force.[/quote]
They should ship him over to China, Ma shang. (Pun intended.)

probably he asked to be shipped to China, but was denied entry cause the boat where he was on was too old…

[/quote]

Yeah, that too.

Even a few KMT legislators had the decency (and sense) to condemn Kuo’s blogging.

libertytimes.com.tw/2009/new … -fo1-3.htm

Please don’t insult her intelligence. She is not a KMT supporter, and she doesn’t just parrot whatever the KMT line is as you seem to be implying.
She is however a native speaker of Chinese and that was her honest interpretation. I would have to ask if you read the article yourself. I imagine that since you are not a native speaker of Chinese you had to rely on other people’s commentary to some extent, which of course may be biased.

Why are only the Taiwanese the “main victims”? How do many Taiwanese regard Hakka or aboriginal people, or WSR for that matter, 外省豬 anyone? (a very common insult)

Are these fears not justified? Retribution can be a nasty thing, especially when you have done nothing wrong. Why should the average WSR have a “guilty conscience”?
I would also suggest that the DPP desinicization policy was seen as threatening by many WSR. Maintaining political separation from the PRC does not require renouncing Chinese heritage.

Too funny, excluding the VP from all calculations because she is “mad”.

Another example, Frank Hsieh calling Taiwanese with Chinese spouses 豬哥.
youtube.com/watch?v=c6digTZX3uY
And he was the DPP candidate for the presidency! Not some lowly representative to Canada.

Well I agree absolutely with the sentiment that Chen expresses in that speech. It’s a pity that the reality was nowhere close. At one point he states “foreign spouses or immigrant workers who labor under Taiwan’s blazing sun [have] become an indispensable member of our “New Taiwan” family”. Is this some kind of joke? Try telling that to the mainland spouse who was forbidden from working to support her family, or the rioting Thai workers on the Gaoxiong MRT project.

Indeed. They deserve credit for that.

Why are only the Taiwanese the “main victims”? How do many Taiwanese regard Hakka or aboriginal people, or WSR for that matter, 外省豬 anyone? (a very common insult)[/quote]
Mawvellous, you are really out on left field here. For a long-time foreign resident to not know that the Taiwanese have been systematically oppressed and excluded from power structures since the KMT regime installed itself here is to be deliberately obtuse.

Are these fears not justified? Retribution can be a nasty thing, especially when you have done nothing wrong. Why should the average WSR have a “guilty conscience”?
I would also suggest that the DPP desinicization policy was seen as threatening by many WSR. Maintaining political separation from the PRC does not require renouncing Chinese heritage.[/quote]
You’re not making sense here, Mawvellous. You say the WSR have justified fears of future retribution and yet have done nothing wrong. Then wouldn’t they be unjustified fears?

I agree with you on the DPPs “localization” policies - they were implemented and explained poorly, and of course there was a backlash. But absolutely there needs to be a de-sinicization of Taiwan - especially in government and government businesses. China is the only enemy threatening Taiwan. China is the only enemy increasing its missiles pointed at Taiwan year by year, even accelerating under a KMT president. China is the only enemy blocking Taiwan from forging diplomatic ties with other countries. China is the only enemy keeping Taiwan from achieving its political, cultural, and economic potential. China is the only enemy marginalizing the health of Taiwanese citizens by blocking their access to and participation in the WHO. China is the only enemy.

Why the HELL then, does Taiwan have a Chinese Nationalist Party, a China Airlines, a China Telecom, a China Post, etc? I understand why these appellations made a certain kind of sense in 1960. But in 2009, they’re ridiculous. Shame on the Chinese Nationalist Party. Shame on them for sweeping under the carpet their Raison d’être: a unification of China and Taiwan. Shame on anyone who pretends otherwise.

Good post, Maoman. I would add that there were somewhat reasonable fears in 2000 that a DPP admin would impliment language and cultural policies that would openly discriminate against wsr. These fears are wholly irrational (to the point of paranoia) now after 8 years of DPP rule showed that localization means funding for local cultural programs, aboriginal and hakka museums, more local history taught at schools, and a national trail system. Fears that Taiwanese would engage in violent retribution were always fringe beliefs.

One last point: why should wsr feel quilty? Because any wsr over about 35 grew up under a system where they benefitted unfairly simply because of enthicity.

It’s the Invisible Knapsack of Taiwan.

[quote=“Mawvellous”][quote=“Feiren”]
My point is that this is not her interpretation. It is Guo’s interpretation.
[/quote]

Please don’t insult her intelligence. She is not a KMT supporter, and she doesn’t just parrot whatever the KMT line is as you seem to be implying.
She is however a native speaker of Chinese and that was her honest interpretation. I would have to ask if you read the article yourself. I imagine that since you are not a native speaker of Chinese you had to rely on other people’s commentary to some extent, which of course may be biased.
[/quote]

You still do not understand. Kuo was widely quoted in the Chinese-language press as having said that his description of himself as a “high class mainlander” was intended as self-satire (ziwo chaofeng). The phrase ziwo chaofeng was the one used by Guo himself to explain himself to the Taiwanese media. While your wife may not parrot the KMT line, I’m afraid that here she is parroting Guo. This is not her “honest interpretation.” It was her faithful repetition of what Kuo said.

I have read a number of Guo’s posts in the Chinese along with many articles in the local press in both pro-green and pro-blue press. While I am not a native speaker of Mandarin, I am perfectly capable of reading newspaper articles and blog posts by myself without relying on other people’s commentary.

[quote]
You still do not understand. Kuo was widely quoted in the Chinese-language press as having said that his description of himself as a “high class mainlander” was intended as self-satire (ziwo chaofeng). The phrase ziwo chaofeng was the one used by Guo himself to explain himself to the Taiwanese media. While your wife may not parrot the KMT line, I’m afraid that here she is parroting Guo. This is not her “honest interpretation.” It was her faithful repetition of what Kuo said.

I have read a number of Guo’s posts in the Chinese along with many articles in the local press in both pro-green and pro-blue press. While I am not a native speaker of Mandarin, I am perfectly capable of reading newspaper articles and blog posts by myself without relying on other people’s commentary.[/quote]

No, he is widely quoted as using the phrase “tiaokanshi” (調侃式). Here he is using it:
youtube.com/watch?v=bkypkm002Xo
A google news search for 郭冠英自我嘲諷 only brings up 1 result, 郭冠英調侃 brings up 790 results.

As I said before she is not a KMT supporter, does not “parrot” the KMT (or any other) party line, and she is not “parroting” Guo. She is also not my wife.
Maybe you should apologize.

Mawvellous,

How can you justify the following paragraph by “mockery?”

A brief translation:

Taiwan [Guo used 歹(bad)丸(ball) to call Taiwan throughout this paragraph] is moving towards a dead-end. It does not qualify reunification (with China). The only solution (for PRC) is to invade Taiwan by force and then establish a single-party government. The problem of Taiwan is never about democracy, but ethnicity. 故不是什麼五毛黨的起哄,反是五毛黨真在憂國
[I don’t know how to translate this sentence. It makes no sense to me.]
After observing the bad outcomes of Taiwan, I’ve learned that the suzerain China needs to slow down its revolution and process towards more openness. Eradicating the lousy western impact and thoughts is a must. After invading Taiwan, China shouldn’t give Taiwanese any political rights. They must keep oppressing Taiwanese people and put efforts into brainwashing. Chen Yi (the Taiwan mayor during the 228 massacre) was too kind to Taiwanese so these bad people took a chance to riot which finally led to 228. We must learn a lesson from this past experience. Using armed force is necessary. Even if Taiwanese agree a peaceful reunification, we still need to keep enough force here in Taiwan. Just in case when any Chinese blood is shed, we can beat these bad Taiwanese people without mercy.


And he is a government official whose salary comes from Taiwanese tax payers.