October 26, 2023
No. 367
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) notes that the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei and the German Institute Taipei issued a joint statement entitled “Why symbols matter: a plea for respect and understanding” in news outlets including the Liberty Times and the Taipei Times on October 25, in response to members of the public using the Nazi flag to express their views at the entrance of the Taipei European School. The statement called on the relevant individuals to better understand the pain and suffering that Nazi symbols inflict; show empathy, understanding, and respect when weighing the impact of their words and actions on others; and responsibly exercise their democratic right to freedom of speech. MOFA expresses its full support for the statement and again strongly condemns the small number of people who continue to express their views through such inappropriate means.
MOFA reiterates that Taiwan is a free and democratic country in which people have the constitutional right to express opinions and exercise freedom of speech. However, the Nazi flag represents the Holocaust, genocide, and fascist ideology and behavior that are anathema to most countries in the world, including Taiwan. The use of Nazi symbols and the swastika flag is outlawed in Germany. Many other countries have also banned Nazi symbols. With regard to people holding Nazi flags outside the Taipei European School, the Taipei City Police Department previously referred the case of Hsieh Hua-mou and Chen Shi-song to the courts. MOFA again calls on the Taiwanese people to be empathetic and understand that Nazi symbols carry negative connotations and are associated with historical trauma in other nations. It asks the public to avoid expressing themselves in ways that hurt the feelings of people in other countries, damage Taiwan’s overall image, and do not effectively convey any message.
In recent years, the government of Taiwan has done its utmost to advance the protection of human rights and cooperate with the international community to comply with global human rights standards. MOFA hopes that the people will work with the government to collectively demonstrate Taiwan’s high regard for the values of human rights, facilitating stronger cooperation with like-minded countries and jointly advancing the interests and well-being of the international community. (E)