Democracy, Disparity, and Disgrace(3)

The Fallen Nobles of Taiwan
Southern People's Weekly (南方人物周刊)
Cover Story, page 22 – 36, issue no. 107, Jan 11th 2008

This year is the 20th anniversary of the death of Chiang Chin-kuo, the last of Chiang family to reign over Taiwan. The legacy of the Chiang family has come under attack in recent years by the Chen Shui-Bian administration, in what is seen as an effort to marginalize public support for rival party Kuomintang, which ruled Taiwan from the day General Chiang Kai-sek led his defeated nationalist armies in a withdrawal from mainland China in 1949 to the year 2000.

Chen has launched a series of character assassinations against the Chiangs, include what has been dubbed as "pi jiang" (criticism against both father Chiang Kai-sek and his son Chiang Chin-kuo). He has moved for the sealing off of the two Chiangs' mausoleum and highlighted the atrocities committed by the Chiangs in suppressing dissidents. The attacks have scarred the family's descendents, many of whom are not involved with politics. The magazine is running a special focus on the four generations of Chiangs in Taiwan, and interviews the non-politician great-grand sons of Chiang Kai-sek to speak about the joys and pains of bearing such a controversial family name.

Editor's note: The special comes at a time when Taiwan is whirling with election fever. The Kuomintang, or the Nationalist Party, has made big gains in Taiwan's legislative elections on Jan 13th, boosting hopes for the party's presidential candidate, Ma Ying-jeou, to reclaim the position from Chen's Democratic Progressive Party in the upcoming election in March. The Nationalist Party is seen as more keen on improving ties with China than Chen's pro-independence stance.