Solidarity for Taiwan

I am moved and inspired by The Students of Taiwan. The world is watching!

Hopefully this action in Taiwan will spark a flame in the hearts and minds of people all over the world. Encouraging them to take action against undemocratic governments. These recent events are really testing the flow of information and the free press in Taiwan. A battle much helped by Social Media. Twitter and Facebook have been my only gateways to information that has otherwise been excluded from our (NZ) mainstream media.

I think China needs to recognize Taiwan as an independent country….Taiwan’s independence has been hard fought for over the years and it should be defended at any cost. I am glad to see students have not forgotten this and the sacrifices their ancestors have made. Although I’m positive about the action taken by the student movement and support it. I am now more cautious to bring my family back to Taiwan to live and work. Could this instability in Taiwan be capitalized on by the CCP to re-unify Taiwan at a moment of weakness? I hope not.

I would say that New Zealand is far away and close to Taiwan at the same time. New Zealand is under a similar threat disguised as a Trade Pact. A Trade agreement with North America The “TPPA” if signed will undermine the Sovereignty rights of our country. We also have a “Black Box” approach and talks are being held in secret. Some information has been leaked (WikiLeaks) show us that these agreements could be very damaging to our sovereignty, democratic process and our way of life here in New Zealand.

My wife is Taiwanese and together with our 2 children love Taiwan and call it home. Even though we choose to live in New Zealand we are very passionate about Taiwan and feel deeply about what is happening. On Sunday 30th March, with a growing group of Taiwanese here in Dunedin, (New Zealand) we protested in solidarity with the student movement in Taiwan. I hope we have created a consciousness about what is happening in Taiwan and that New Zealanders could learn from their passion for a free and open democracy. If I was in Taiwan, I would be on the front-line photographing. As a photographer I see it as my responsibility to create images that raise awareness of people that don’t have a voice.

I pray for Taiwan.