ABSTRACT
Threatstosecuritymaterialiseinmanyguises. On21September1999,Taiwanwasshakenbyitsbiggestearthquake
since1935.Thedeathtolltopped21,000,withmorethan8,700injured andafurther100,000madehomeless.Over11,000aftershocksmade rescueeffortsdifficultanddangerous,andfrightenedthousandsof survivorsfromreturningtotheirhomes.Thecostofcopingwiththe earthquakeandrebuildinghasbeenestimatedatmorethanUS$3billion. On25September,PresidentLeeTeng-huiapprovedemergencydecrees designedtocutthroughbureaucraticredtapeandexpeditereconstruction efforts.Fewwantedtopoliticisethedisaster-itbroughttoanabrupthalt theincreasinglysavagePresidentialelectioncampaign-butmany commentatorsfoundtheproposeddatefortheendoftheemergency measures,24March2000,alittledisturbing:ThenextPresidentialelection wasscheduledfor18March.Taiwan'sEnglishlanguagepresscarriedsuch headlinesas'OppositionjitteryoverrumouredtermextensionforLee', describingfearsthattheelectionmightbepostponed(TaipeiTimes,7 October1999).Althoughonlyarumourthatwasimmediatelydeniedby thePresidentialoffice,thisneverthelessillustrateshowpoliticscanbea cruelandinsensitiveintrusionatsuchdifficulttimes.Someexpressed uneasewiththepotentialfor'humanrightsviolationsbehindtheshieldof theemergencydecrees',andnotedthatthepenaltiesforviolatingthe temporarylawscouldbemoreseverethantheusualpunishmentsdispensed forrobbery,extortionorassault(TaipeiTimes,7October1999).The Legislaturehadnopowerstorestrictorreviewtheemergencydecrees. OthersweremoreconcernedthatthedecreesmightallowtheKuomintang party(KMT)toincreaseitsresourcesand,viathedistributionoffunds, expandtheparty'srelationshipwithlocalfactionsaheadofthe2000 election:'It'sashamelesswayofexpandingadministrativepower,oreven worse,awayofencouragingcorruption,'claimedoneoppositionmember ofTaiwan'sparliament,theLegislativeYuan(TaipeiTimes,15October 1999).Indeed,inthetwomonthsfollowingtheearthquakenewspapers
raisestheproblemsofsecurityandsovereignty:acceptingthename 'ChineseTaipei'istheonlywaythattheRepublicofChina(ROC)on Taiwancanentermanymultilateralorganisationsandforums,includingthe ostensiblyapoliticalOlympicCommittee.'ChineseTaipei'isnota sovereignnation-state,andsoitsjournalistsshouldnotexpectthesame basicrightsandprivilegesasothermembers.Howtheinternational communityviewsTaiwancanitselfaffectitssecurity.
