A Newsless Day

For MITBBS, the 'largest' Chinese oversea website and the site with probably the most concentration of elite subscribers with most readers being oversea Chinese holding at least a graduate degrees, it seems there's no real news today, on March 22, 2008.

The 'hottest' topic based on user clicking is discussion on a faked account made by the Dalia Lama's office regarding police's involvement in the recent riot in Tibet. The top suggested (by the site administrators) reading is about men and women and dating. The 'A1' news selected by editors is about the US presidential election.

It seems nobody knows, or cares, an incident that almost ignited the third world war, almost.

It was the election day of Taiwan, an island of 22 million people. A province of China for now, Taiwan residents are trying to figure out whether they wanted to make an immediate declaration of independence with two referendums to be held the same time as the regional 'presidential' election. As of today, Taiwan is still a province of the Republic of China (ROC). ROC is still overseeing the entire and some, in theory. For example, the ROC still claims Mongolia is part of China, so as some of the territory changes made by the Beijing government after 1949 in treaties with neighboring countries.

The Beijing authority has threatened to re-unite Taiwan with military force, if the island dares to hold the referendum, a right Beijing sees only the entire country, of course that will include the mainland) is entitled to. Taiwan went ahead with the referendums. Beijing was relived to see the referendums did not pass, just another godsend excuse so that it does not have to start a war.

The looming of war had been taken seriously. The chief of staff of Russian military visited China days before the election. The US sent three aircraft carriers to the region, including one visits Hong Kong.

The only thing we know at this time is there will not be an immediate war, but nothing further, in a newsless day.

Chen SB was charged Corruption

Prosecutors of the Republic of China believed Mr. Chen Shuibian stole government money and forging documents. Because of the immunity associated with his presidency, Mr. Chen Shuibian was not changed. However the accomplices, his wife and three staff members of the President's Office were indicated. Chen will be prosecuted after he left the office in two years.

The pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Chen SB have been strangled with a range of scandals since Chen SB took office in 2001, with new scandals emerging on TV almost every evening. In the case cited by the prosecutors, Chen SB used forged forged receipt and invoice to steal secret government funding. Chen claimed those funding was ultimately used in secret diplomacy while the prosecutors found to be untrue.

On the other hand, this is just one other reason that people in Taiwan should cherish their democracy, and resist the reunification pressures until the day when the same could be seen happen on the mainland.