Taipei, Dec. 21 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian reaffirmed his belief Sunday in democracy and reforms when he spoke to the graduates of a school he founded earlier this year.
The president said that compared to the 23 million people of Taiwan, the 600 alumni of the inaugural class of the Ketagalan Academy is not a large number, but he said that as long as they realize and carry out their historic missions, they will "successfully galvanize the dynamism of the Taiwan people."
The president said history clearly indicates that insistence on democracy and reforms is the right direction and he urged the graduates to "believe in themselves and in Taiwan" to help create a splendid chapter in Taiwan's history.
Chen said that although he faces re-election soon, he is most concerned now "not about the results of the election, but about how to continue the ideals of reforms."
He said he would not confront the anti-reform forces, but would rather adopt the approach of dialogue with them because he believes that the flow of democracy cannot be deterred by individuals.
He also said that it requires time to strengthen democracy, which is why he chose to use the most time-consuming, yet most solid way to help democratic reforms -- the founding of the Ketagalan Academy, a school established March 29, 2003 to nurture the nation's future leaders.
Chen said that looking at the history of Taiwan after World War II, one can see that the country has achieved tremendous success with its economy, but he said the opening up of society has been comparably very slow.
He said he believes Taiwan people are born with tenacity and dynamism. They weathered the Kuomintang's white terror following the tragic Feb. 28 incident, and the suppression of martial law, but in the late 1980s, they were able to break free from the shackles of authoritarian rule.
From the lifting of martial law, the comprehensive election of the Legislative Yuan, the popular presidential election of 1996 to the political power transfer of 2000, the dynamism of the Taiwan people was finally able to be released.
Chen said that over the past decade, he has seen the release of this dynamism, but he has also seen the impact of different social forces. "Even more than three years after political power transfer, Taiwan society today is still trying to build up a new order, " Chen said, adding that "the value and ideals pursued in the past need to be clarified and implemented."
He said that he had hoped that the political power transfer would bring a new start for Taiwan so that the dynamism of the Taiwan people could be pooled and reforms pushed forward.
But he lamented that even though "the Taiwan people have chosen political power transfer and democratic reforms, some political figures, clinging to their past glory and resisting reforms, have tried to drag their feet on the pace of national progress through political bickering without considering the well-being of the nation."
Chen said that the strength of a single individual is small, but pooling the strength of individuals with ideals and the will to implement their ideals can change history.
He said that graduation is the start of responsibility, and he exhorted the alumni to sow the seeds of democracy.