My brother Essa, well come aboard...With respect to your Taiwan analogy,
I am forwarding a very recent article by Former Prez. Lee which dilates
on the fundamental issues of national identity and colonial legacies.
All of which have concomitant bearing on national development.

Regards, Ebou

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'Rectifying' Taiwan's Name
By Lee Teng-hui
Issue cover-dated October 16, 2003 (Far Eastern Economic Review)

The writer was president of Taiwan from 1988 to 2000
In early September, over 150,000 people gathered in front of the
Presidential Office in Taipei to support a proposal for what is called
the "rectification" of Taiwan's name--in other words, to discard the
"Republic of China" moniker. Why has such a demand surfaced?
As I worked to advance the cause of freedom and democracy in Taiwan
during my 12 years as president, I met with many difficulties and
obstacles that brought me to the conclusion that Taiwan is not a "normal
country." A normal country's path towards development is influenced by
its history and by its geography. People seek the most advantageous
course by reflecting upon their past and considering where they are
situated in the physical world. But over the past two centuries, Taiwan
has been ruled by external powers. Its goals and political system, in
particular, have been imposed by outside regimes, without any influence
by the people of Taiwan, without any heed of their views and needs. For
a very long time, outside powers dictated the way life was lived by
Taiwan's people.
Even now--three years after the democratic transfer of political power--
we suffer from the debilitating effect of this historical burden. The
people of Taiwan still are unable to muster the determination to be
their own masters, to shoulder the responsibilities they alone ought to
bear, to deliberate on the nation's future goals, to bravely face
challenges and pursue ideals. This is a cause for regret, and it must be
remedied.
While, admittedly, the establishment and progress of a nation cannot be
shackled by history, it cannot completely dissociate itself from the
past. History cannot be changed, but the future is for us to define. How
we define our identity is an exercise made against the backdrop of our
antecedents. One reason Taiwan is not a normal country is because it has
not been able to come to terms with its own history and to establish a
Taiwan-centric frame of thinking. Creating a Taiwan-centred environment
and realizing the ideals of a normal country are the goals towards which
Taiwan should strive.
During my administration, we carried out six amendments to the
constitution. I also advocated the idea of a "Republic of China on
Taiwan" and promoted the "New Taiwanese" doctrine in the hope that
everyone, without distinctions of ethnicity and length of residency,
would identify with Taiwan, cherish Taiwan and work together to create a
good life in Taiwan. The results have been less than hoped for.
Whether in the area of domestic governance or foreign diplomacy, I came
to realize that all the difficulties Taiwan encountered are linked to
its impractical official name, "Republic of China." To resolve its
problems, Taiwan must begin by correcting its name, making the nation
and its official name consistent with reality.
Recently, I said: "The Republic of China no longer exists." I based this
on three points. First, when the Republic of China was established in
1912, it by no means encompassed Taiwan. Next, after World War II, the
Republic of China was a military occupier of Taiwan, and Taiwan's actual
status ought to be deemed a land belonging to no country, whose
international status has yet to be defined--not as a part of the
Republic of China's already-existing territory.
Lastly, after 1949--when Chinese communists took the mainland territory
of the Republic of China--the Republic of China in fact no longer
possessed any territory, with only its name continuing to exist.
Although the name "Republic of China" was hung on Taiwan, ever since the
People's Republic of China supplanted the Republic of China in the
United Nations in 1971, the Republic of China vanished from the
international community. People should realize that the "Republic of
China" is just an official name, not a nation.
Through democratization, Taiwan has finally established a native,
Taiwan-rooted democratic regime. Such a native government ought to plan
for the well-being of all Taiwan's inhabitants, serve the people and
work hard to act on the public's demand for rectification of Taiwan's
name. Meanwhile, the people must gain a clearer understanding of their
history, work together to set national goals, cooperate with government-
reform initiatives and strive for the establishment of a normal country
founded on a Taiwan-centric consciousness.
What's in a name? A name is an affirmation of one's identity. Only
through the rectification of Taiwan's name can Taiwan truly set goals
for its development. Only with goals can there be a direction to focus
Taiwan's efforts. And only

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