September 28, 2023
No. 324
Recently, certain members of the public expressed their views by flying a Nazi flag at the entrance to the Taipei European School. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) was notified of this incident by Filip Grzegorzewski, head of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan, who conveyed Europe’s deep concern about such inappropriate behavior. MOFA expresses great regret and condemnation that an extremely small number of individuals would overlook the racial discrimination and human rights violations that Nazi symbols connote and continue to express their views in such a way that is detrimental to Taiwan’s overall image, despite having repeatedly been advised otherwise.
MOFA reiterates that Taiwan is a free and democratic country in which people have the constitutional right to express their own opinion as well as to free speech. However, it again calls on Taiwanese citizens to understand how their expression might be perceived by other nations and peoples, and to respect the views of others. The Nazi flag stands for racism, genocide, and ethnic cleansing, and evokes painful historical memories in Europe. It has been anathema since the end of World War II. MOFA deeply regrets any actions that disregard painful historical episodes and employ inappropriate means of expressing views. It calls on Taiwanese to be empathetic and understand that certain symbols may have negative connotations or be associated with historical tragedies in other nations, and to avoid expressing themselves in ways that damage Taiwan’s overall image.
In recent years, the government has put a great deal of effort into promoting transitional justice in hopes of eliminating hatred and demonstrating empathy for different cultures, religions, and ethnic groups. MOFA hopes that the people will work with the government to continue building on the nation’s commitment to human rights, facilitating stronger cooperation with like-minded nations, and further advancing the interests and well-being of the international community. (E)