The Youth Department of the Democratic Progressive Party has initiated an internet vote in order to select a date for Taiwanese Youth Day. On March 29th, You Si-kun (???), the Chairman of the DPP; Lin Chia-Lung (???), Secretary General; Chou Yung-Hong (???), Director of the Youth Department; Chou Yi-hsiu (???), Chairman of the Taiwan Youth Democratic Union; Lee Yong-Chih (???), National Policy Advisor; and Chin Heng-wei ( ??? ), editor in chief of the magazine Contemporary Monthly, held a press release in the company of young people. They listed all the possible dates for Taiwanese Youth Day that had been collected on the internet, and announced the next step: a referendum on the internet, encouraging young people to be their own masters and cast their online votes for Taiwanese Youth Day.
Chairman You was a special guest at the press release. He expressed his support for the vote, saying, “Taiwan is great. And so are the young Taiwanese! Young people have repeatedly played an important role throughout Taiwanese history. Events such as these set an example for future generations. Society should recognize the importance of the young people of Taiwan.”
Lee Yong-Chih, National Policy Advisor, and Chin Heng-wei, editor in chief of the magazine Contemporary Monthly, made time to attend the even in support of the voters. Advisor Lee cited the example of the Meiji Restoration in Japan, saying that in each new era young people are invariably the ones who create the new trends, and provide the necessary step towards improvement. The Taiwan of today is facing such a historical situation. The youth of Taiwan carry the impulses that will direct social trends and create a new future for our society. Mr. Chin said that Taiwanese Youth Day can only be meaningful if Taiwan’s past is combined with its future.
Secretary General Lin stated that the vote is a creative event that emphasizes the individualities of the young people concerned. He pointed out that although some media organizations have discredited, misunderstood and stigmatized the event, young people’s ideals and motivations are indomitable. The youth know that they only need to persevere, and soon they will be walking on the wide road of freedom. Mr. Lin also spoke of how meaningful it is to allow young people to share a common imagination and memory of our nation and people. If he were to vote for it, he said he would choose the 3rd, the memorial day of Kao Yi-sheng (???), who lost his life fighting with the KMT army in defense of his own people during the 228 Massacre.
Chou Yung-Hong (???), Director of the Youth Department, said that voting for Youth Day is a bottom up process. Young people are allowed to decide on their day in accordance with the spirit of democracy. And the vote itself is an example of the deepening of democracy in Taiwan. The process will begin on March 16th, the memorial day of the March Student Movement, with the collection of proposals for the date. The second step of voting on the internet would commence on March 29. The website through which people will vote is www.y-stage.org.tw. Meanwhile, we are still welcoming proposals from young people. The Youth Department would like to encourage young people of Taiwan to express their opinions, as they will thus be actively participating in public affairs. (Please see the agenda for the dates that have been proposed so far.)
With regards to the Executive Yuan’s coming discussion on Taiwanese Youth Day in the Youth National Issues Forums, Director Chou said he is looking forward to seeing the results of the forums. He said that the vote for Youth Day is an asset to all Taiwanese youth and represents their consensus. However, he also said that Youth Day needs the assistance of the government. The Youth Department of the DPP does not have enough resources and has struggled to push the event forward. It will be of benefit to the movement that the National Youth Commission is now willing to talk about the issue in its Youth National Issues Forums. The Youth Department has expressed its willingness to provide the National Youth Commission with the information it has collected. It will also attend the Youth National Issues Forums and explain the significance behind the vote for Youth Day.
The current ‘Youth Day’ of March 29th was established in the era of the KMT’s authoritarian reign. That day was to commemorate the many young Chinese who were killed whilst trying to overthrow the Ching government a hundred years ago. Director Chou recognized the spirit of these young Chinese in pursuing the establishment of a democratic country; however, that day is wholly unrelated to the land of Taiwan and its democracy, which is why there is such a need for a Taiwanese Youth Day.