ZCZC
BFF-17
TAIWAN-CHINA-VOTE-HOMOSEXUALITY-RIGHTS
Taiwan’s progressive image takes hit after divisive polls
TAIPEI, Nov 25, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – LGBT activists in Taiwan fear their newly
won right to marriage equality is under threat, while the president is
battling for her political future after a wide-ranging vote that saw the
island swing towards conservatism.
Rival referendums on same-sex unions saw “pro-family” groups defeat pro-gay
campaigners in what Amnesty International called a “bitter blow and a step
backwards for human rights in Taiwan”.
The referendums ran alongside local elections in which the ruling
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffered a massive loss in city and county
seats, prompting President Tsai Ing-wen to resign as party leader and
sparking questions over whether she will be able to run for re-election in
2020.
The Beijing-friendly main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) made gains in the
face of China’s increasing pressure on the island, which it sees as part of
its territory to be reunified.
Tsai has promoted Taiwan as a beacon of democracy in the region since she
took office, pitching it as a counterpoint to China’s authoritarianism.
Rights activists worldwide also lauded Taiwan after its top court voted to
legalise gay marriage last year, the first place in Asia to do so, with the
change due to be implemented next year.
But analysts said Saturday’s vote showed mainstream sentiment was still
uncomfortable with such reforms.
“Taiwan is a conservative society and not quite ready for the progressive
label it’s been given in some quarters,” said Jonathan Sullivan, director of
the China Policy Institute at Nottingham University.
Pro-gay marriage campaigners say they fear the new laws will now be
weakened as the government faces conservative opposition.
“The Taiwanese government needs to step up and take all necessary measures
to deliver equality and dignity for all, regardless of who people love,” said
Amnesty, urging authorities not to use the referendum as an “excuse” to
undermine rights.
– ‘Protest vote’ –
Observers said the DPP’s shock defeat in local polls was an indictment of
policies they felt had not helped ordinary people.
Although GDP is rising in Taiwan, voters say they are not seeing the
benefits and many have been incensed by cuts to pensions and public holidays.
Some traditional DPP supporters had said ahead of the elections that they
would punish the party as they felt tensions with China were damaging their
businesses.
The DPP leans towards independence and Beijing has upped military and
diplomatic pressure since Tsai took office, unilaterally cutting all official
relations.
Tsai and the DPP repeatedly accused China of a “fake news” campaign ahead
of the vote, which Beijing denied, and authorities are probing Chinese
influence through campaign funding of candidates.
Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese Studies at King’s College London, framed
the result as a protest vote.
“This is not a wholehearted endorsement of anyone else — just a sign of
how much like other countries Taiwan now is — divided, very frustrated and
looking for chances to protest,” he told AFP.
Observers agreed Tsai’s re-election prospects had been severely weakened
although some said she still had a chance to run, in the absence of an
obvious successor.
Tsai had described the vote as a chance for Taiwan to stand up to China,
while the KMT pitched it as a no-confidence test.
Analysts said that Taiwan’s sense of separateness from China was ingrained,
but that voters wanted a cross-strait relationship that did not damage the
island economically, a balance that successive governments have found
difficult to strike.
“(The electorate) remain attached to Taiwan’s de facto independence and
democracy,” said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, professor of political science at Hong
Kong Baptist University.
“They want to see their purchasing power increase and their government to
show more competence.”
BSS/AFP/GMR/1121 hrs