Zubayra Shamseden, UHRP’s Chinese Outreach Coordinator, spoke at the “Keep Taiwan Free” rally on September 22nd. Below is a transcript of her speech and photographs of the event.
What does it mean to ‘Keep Taiwan Free’?
For the Chinese people inside China, under the dictatorial regime of Xi Jinping, it means:
- Having a democratic regime that millions of Chinese people have for so long dreamed
- Having a free society where every one can express themselves freely without fear of persecution, detention, torture and disappearance
- Living a life without corrupt state officials, government supported wealthy elites, and preferred groups of ‘patriotic’ people, and without concern for their homes being demolished, being hungry on the streets or disappeared in black jails.
- Believing in a faith that they wish to believe in, not kowtowing to Xi Jinping and the CCP
For the people, who live in occupied territories of China, like Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongols, ‘Keep Taiwan Free’ means:
- Never trust the Chinese communist government’s empty promises and never give up on your true democracy and freedom. Keep your region free.
- Value your identity, your worth, your belief, your dignity and keep resisting Chinese assimilation. Don’t give up your Taiwanese identity.
- Live in a free society, not a society which is controlled by tanks, artillery, high tech surveillance and mass detention. Stay a free Taiwan that has democratic value.
- Live without fear of persecution because of your different skin color, belief in a religion, use of a different language, identity with a different culture and life style; Keep Taiwan as free as it is now.
- Live without fear of devastation of separation from your family, forced marriages, destruction of your private life by settling unwanted government state officials into your house, forcing you to eat, sleep, and live together with the people who oppress you. Stop Chinese Communist influence in every aspects of your free life. Protect what you have Taiwan.
Taiwan has been an example to millions of Chinese people that also deserve an open, free society. Each and every Chinese person, who desires freedom should support and protect the democracy in Taiwan.
Currently the Chinese communist government under Xi, instead of using Taiwan as a role model to implement democratic rule in China, intends to make it a part of China like East Turkestan, Tibet and Inner Mongolia.
Our Uyghur, Tibetan, Mongol and other Chinese democracy movement activism experiences and the current atrocity that is taking place in East Turkestan proves that under the Chinese communist regime, it is impossible to have freedom, democracy, peace, justice, equality and a humanly life. As a people whose fate is connected to the same evil enemy in the world, let’s fight together, work together to:
Keep Taiwan Free, Keep Hong Kong free,
Make East Turkestan, Tibet and Inner Mongolia free from the Chinese dictatorship.