Students demand KMT to give up totalitarianism

[English translation follows the Chinese version and was published in Taipei Times.]

政府不可逃避對人民的義務（傅偉哲）

2009年12月18日蘋果日報

放大圖片

ECFA是重大政策，政府有責任向人民說清楚。圖為民眾持「ECFA要公投」標語抗議。

台大、台師大與台科大三校學生會於14日上午聯合召開記者會，邀請行政院長吳敦義26、27日出席台大論壇，說明兩岸經濟合作架構協議（Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement，ECFA）政策。在遭吳敦義院長婉拒後，16日上午與新加入的陽明大學學生會、輔仁大學學代會及台灣醫學生聯合會前往行政院呈遞聖誕 卡，持續邀請吳揆暨其閣員前往台大。

吳揆應總體性說明

我們認為，ECFA是國家重大政策，但是這個政策的形成過程並不民主，政府沒有公開資訊，也沒有跟大家充分溝通，而且受政策影響的人民也沒有討論乃至於決定的機會。
台大學生會所舉辦的「ECFA發╱罰到大學生？」論壇邀請政府官員、學者以及民間團體參加，確保各方意見充分呈現；也設計分組討論，讓青年公民思辨。27日結束時，將共同形成「共識報告」，所有參與者一起決定是否同意簽訂ECFA。
我們希望所有重要的政策形成、決定過程都是民主的，所以參考審議式民主的精神設計論壇；也希望政府在實際制定政策時，能夠比擬我們對待重大政策的態度，以符合民主原則。
吳敦義院長擔任行政團隊首長，不應該只對代表人民的國會負責，而不對人民負責。況且ECFA是一個影響深遠的政策，閣揆也有義務向人民作總體性說 明，不可以「專業」為由，推給經濟部單一部門。事實上，如果ECFA是一個連閣揆都沒有能力說明的政策，人民又如何相信閣揆率領的行政團隊有能力執行，乃 至於真正解決台灣的經濟問題？
我們除了邀請吳揆作總體說明之外，我們還希望邀請陸委會主委賴幸媛、青輔會主委王昱婷、內政部長江宜樺三位前來。和中國簽訂協議，陸委會難道沒有負責說明的必要？青年失業率將突破16％，薪資水準年年下滑，ECFA對年輕人究竟有沒有幫助？而馬總統簽訂的人權公約不只是條文而已，內政部長應該證明ECFA能夠落實如工作權等等人權保障。

讓人民作最後決定

任何重大政策的簽訂都將影響年輕世代的未來。當政者不僅應該對人民負責，尤其對未來承接台灣發展的青年公民負有更高的說明義務。我們希望吳揆暨其閣員向人民負責：ECFA政策制定須符合民主原則，請充分揭露資訊、創造討論空間，並且讓人民作最後的決定！

作者為台灣大學學生會會長，本文為台灣大學、陽明大學、台北大學、台灣科技大學、台灣師範大學、輔仁大學、世新大學等大學學生自治團體及台灣醫學生聯合會共同意見

Government answerable to the youth about ECFA

By Fu Weiche 傅偉哲

Saturday, Dec 26, 2009, Page 8 On Dec. 14, student associations from National Taiwan University (NTU), National Taiwan Normal University and National Taiwan University of Science and Technology invited Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) to attend a forum at NTU this weekend to explain government policy on the proposed cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA).

The ECFA proposal is a major national policy, but it has been drawn up in an undemocratic way. The public has not been informed about the content of the policy because the government has failed to communicate adequately. It will affect the lives of Taiwanese, but they have had no chance to discuss it, still less make decisions.

The forum is being organized by the NTU Student Association under the title “ECFA — Boon or Bust for College Students?” Organizers invited government officials, academics and civic groups. Discussion workshops will be held for young citizens to inquire deeper into the issues. When the forum concludes tomorrow, participants will draw up a consensus report in which all participants will decide whether they agree to signing an ECFA.

All important policies should be formed and decided through a democratic process, which is why this forum has been organized in the spirit of deliberative democracy. Hopefully the government will take a similar attitude when deciding on policies, in accordance with democratic principles.

As chief of the country’s executive team, Wu should be answerable not just to the legislature, which represents the public, but to the public as a whole. All the more so given that the ECFA proposal is a policy with far-reaching implications. Consequently, the premier is duty-bound to give the public a proper and thorough explanation. He should not pass this responsibility on to the Ministry of Finance alone on the grounds that “they are the experts.”

If even the premier can’t explain the ECFA policy, how can the public have faith in the ability of the executive team he leads to carry it out, or indeed to find effective solutions for Taiwan’s economic problems?

We would also like to invite Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛), National Youth Commission Minister Wang Yu-ting (王昱婷) and Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) to attend the forum. If an accord is to be signed with China, surely the council has a responsibility to explain it. Youth unemployment will soon top 16 percent, and wages keep falling every year. Will an ECFA be of any help to the young?

The two international human rights covenants recently signed into law by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) are more than just a list of articles — the interior minister should demonstrate how an ECFA would serve to protect the right to work and other human rights.

Any major policy that is signed will have a bearing on the future of the younger generation. Those in government should be answerable to the public, and above all they are duty-bound to explain their policies to the young citizens who in future will carry on the task of Taiwan’s development. We hope Wu and members of his Cabinet will live up to this responsibility. The ECFA policy must be decided in a democratic way. Please reveal all the information, make space for discussion and let the public have the final say!



Fu Weiche is president of the NTU Student Association. The opinions stated in this article represent the views of autonomous student bodies at NTU, National Yang Ming University, National Taipei University, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Taiwan Normal University, Fu Jen Catholic University and Shih Hsin University, and of the Federation of Medical Students in Taiwan.

TRANSLATED BY JULIAN CLEGG