海納百川》世界民主運動 又一次取暖大會（方恩格）

取自總統府直播畫面

10月25日，「世界民主運動」全球大會在臺北開幕。雖然這是世界民主運動第11次舉行全球集會，但這次活動鮮爲人知，對臺灣而言價值不大。那麼，臺灣爲什麼要舉辦呢？

首先，通過讓烏克蘭議員參與，臺灣有機會表明它「與烏克蘭站在一起」。然而，戰爭爆發8個月後，儘管臺灣對烏克蘭提供人道主義援助，但迄今爲止，烏克蘭總統澤倫斯基仍讓他的政府和臺灣保持距離（因此，臺灣的外長與基輔市長舉行了視訊會議，而不是與烏克蘭外長舉行了視訊會議） ，而烏克蘭政府尚未承諾不會恢復對中國的軍售。

其次，同志人權(LGBT)保障是全球大會議題的重要組成部分。由於美國政府資助的非政府組織美國國家民主基金會是「世界民主運動」全球大會的主要組織者，蔡政府有機會聲稱其與拜登政府在同志人權保障上有着共同的看法，並且可以嘗試改變蔡英文政府押寶川普、希望川普擊敗拜登的看法。事實上，由於他們對中國的共同看法，民進黨與共和黨政客建立了良好的關係，儘管民進黨政客在政策問題上與共和黨人幾乎沒有共同之處，包括 同志人權。

第三，雖然臺灣喜歡談民主，但它避免在它以經援換取外交關係的國家推行民主。最近的例子包括史瓦帝尼、海地、宏都拉斯和索馬利蘭（被描述爲「準外交關係」）的事件，早些時候，在所羅門羣島和尼加拉瓜的民主缺失上，臺灣保持沉默，只爲了要換取他們承認中華民國。

第四，通過在10月25日舉行活動，國內媒體對這個民主運動國際論壇的報導迴避了臺灣光復節，以及蔡政府是否迴避紀念二戰結束日本投降、中華民國政府開始對臺灣行使權力的日子。

第五，相對不爲人知的「世界民主運動」全球大會是一個取暖派對，類似於臺灣在許多無法參加的國際論壇中，於場外間隙舉辦的取暖活動。

對於民主論壇來說，最近比較突出的事件之一是拜登政府在 2021年12月舉辦的「民主峰會」。在峰會前，人們猜測蔡英文總統是否會被邀請出席或發言。通過視訊會議舉行峰會，但最終拜登政府沒有邀請她。峰會期間，時任政務委員唐鳳發表演講時，現場直播被打斷。或許臺灣會被邀請參加2023年的下一屆民主峰會。

比「世界民主運動」更爲突出的民主論壇包括日內瓦人權與民主峰會（於4月舉行了年度活動）、總部位於丹麥的民主聯盟基金會主辦了年度哥本哈根民主峰會（舉辦了6月的年度活動），雅典民主論壇（9月舉行了年度活動），總部位於波蘭的多邊政府組織民主社羣（臺灣雖然是民主國家，但不是成員國），國際民主論壇由法國政府和歐洲委員會於 11月在法國斯特拉斯堡舉行的第10屆年度論壇）和總部位於韓國的亞洲民主網絡將於11 月在印尼舉行其年度會議。

臺灣民主基金會已經是一個名不見經傳組織「東亞民主論壇」的秘書處。2019年，臺灣還舉辦了「印太地區保衛宗教自由公民社會對話」，該活動於2022年再次舉辦，但更名爲「印太地區公民社會對話論壇」。在前總統陳水扁的領導下，臺灣民主基金會組織了「亞洲民主化論壇」。

10月初，臺灣主辦了玉山論壇，蔡總統向與會者強調「臺灣位處在民主防線的最前緣」。臺北的許多此類事件爲來自民主和非民主東南亞國家的政府反對派提供了一個平臺，他們在新南向政策下尋求與臺灣改善關係，這與臺灣意圖改善與鄰國關係的目標背道而馳。

美國前總統歐巴馬最近宣佈，他將於11月在紐約市舉辦一個民主論壇，希望臺灣政府的知名人士能出席。到那個時候，臺北的「世界民主運動」全球大會很可能已經被遺忘了。

（作者爲美國共和黨前亞太區主席）

A World Democracy Forum in Taipei?

By Ross Darrell Feingold

Former Asia Chairman, Republicans Abroad

Twitter: @RossFeingold

On October 25 the World Movement for Democracy Global Assembly began in Taipei. Although this is the eleventh time that the World Movement for Democracy has held a global assembly, this event is little known and has little value for Taiwan.

So why is Taiwan hosting it?

First, by having a Ukraine member of parliament participate, Taiwan gets a chance to demonstrate that it “Stands With Ukraine”. However, eight months after the war began and despite Taiwan’s humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, up to now Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has maintained a distance between his government and Taiwan (thus, Taiwan’s foreign minister held a videoconference with Kyiv’s mayor rather than Ukraine’s foreign minister), and the Ukraine government has yet to commit that it won’t resume military sales to China.

Second, LGBT rights are a prominent part of the topics at the Global Assembly. Because a US-government funded non-government organization, the National Endowment for Democracy, is the main organizer of the World Movement for Democracy Global Assembly, the Tsai Administration has a chance to claim it has a common view on LGBT rights with the Biden Administration, and can try to change the perception that the Tsai Administration preferred President Donald Trump defeat Joe Biden. In reality, because of their shared views on China, the Democratic Progressive Party has developed excellent relations with Republican politicians even though Democratic Progressive Party politicians otherwise have little in common with Republicans on policy issues, including on LGBT rights.

Third, although Taiwan likes to talk about democracy promotion, it avoids promoting democracy in countries it supports with financial aid in return for diplomatic relations. Recent examples include events in Eswatini, Haiti, Honduras, and Somaliland (with whom relations are described as “diplomatic relations in waiting”), and earlier, Taiwan was silent about democracy shortcomings in the Solomon Islands and in Nicaragua prior to those countries de-recognizing the Republic of China.

Fourth, by holding the event on October 25th, domestic press coverage about an international forum in Taipei avoids discussion about Retrocession Day and whether the Tsai Administration is avoiding commemoration of the day on which the Republic of China government began to exercise authority over Taiwan upon Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II.

Fifth, the relatively unknown “World Movement for Democracy” global assembly is a pity party event, similar to events Taiwan organizes on the sidelines of international forums Taiwan is unable to attend.

For democracy forums, one of the more prominent events recently was the Biden Administration’s “Summit for Democracy” in December 2021. Prior to the summit there was much speculation as to whether President Tsai Ing-wen would be invited to either attend or speak to the summit via videoconference, but ultimately the Biden Administration did not invite her. During the summit, the live stream was disrupted when then-Minister Without Portfolio Audrey Tang delivered her speech. Maybe Taiwan will be invited to the next Summit for Democracy in 2023.

Democracy forums that are more prominent than the World Movement for Democracy include the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy (which held its annual event in April), the Denmark-based Alliance of Democracies Foundation which hosts the annual Copenhagen Democracy Summit (which held its annual event in June), the Athens Democracy Forum (which held its annual event in September), the Poland-based multilateral government organization the Community of Democracies (Taiwan is not a member state despite being a democracy), the World Forum for Democracy organized by the government of France and the Council of Europe held in Strasbourg, France which in November will hold its tenth annual forum), and the Korea-based Asian Democracy Network which will hold its annual meeting in Indonesia in November.

The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy is already the secretariat for a little-known organization called the “East Asia Democracy Forum”. In 2019, Taiwan also hosted a “A Civil Society Dialogue on Securing Religious Freedom in the Indo-Pacific Region”, an event that was held again in 2022 though the name was changed to “Regional Religious Freedom Forum”. Under former President Chen Shui-bian, the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy organized a “World Forum for Democratization in Asia”.

Earlier in October, Taiwan hosted the Yushan Forum, with President Tsai emphasizing to attendees that “Taiwan stands on the frontlines of the defense of democracy”. Many of these events in Taipei give a platform to government opponents from both democratic and non-democratic Southeast Asian countries that under the New Southbound Policy Taiwan seeks better relations with, which is counter to Taiwan’s goal to improve relations with its neighbors.

Former President Barack Obama recently announced he will host a democracy forum in New York City in November. Hopefully a prominent person from the Taiwan government will attend. Most likely by that time, the World Movement for Democracy Global Assembly in Taipei will already be forgotten.

※以上言論不代表旺中媒體集團立場※