Democracy shakes hand with communism

Written by Cherelle Jackson
Saturday, 29 March 2008
The first thought that came to mind in seeing the picture of our Speaker of the House shaking hands with a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is well, a thought of sheer amusement. Here is Samoa screaming profanities at the disregard of some basic democratic processes at home and there is our beloved Government shaking hands with a representative of just system that affirms the concept of democratic ignorance. Now its not that CPC should be criticized for the smart move, but an important question arises, why is it necessary for the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) to meet with CPC? It’s not so much the meeting itself, but rather the secretive way in which the visit by the 14 member delegation was made. Honestly, how responsible a move is it when a quarter of Parliament is absent from the country, including the Prime Minister himself? Intriguing however is the lack of information provided to the public about the overseas visits by the Members of Parliament and Cabinet Ministers. At a time when our Government is not exactly at its proudest moment, it is hard to believe that they would gladly travel overseas in light of such circumstances. HRPP and the lack of transparency If HRPP is truly a party that protects the rights of people, Samoan people, then they are doing a darn fine job of it protecting anything but. The Press Secretariat has not issued a single release about the visit by the delegations; or any other matter of importance as of late. It seems the office has become dormant amid the controversies within Parliament. The Prime Minister will be the first to tell you that the ruling party prides itself in its efforts at transparency, yet the Press is never really informed of their countless visits overseas, which by the way is paid in part by our tax tala, if not the fare than their allowances surely. If HRPP is truly transparent then the citizens would be informed about where, why and how they are going, after all is it not the citizens of Samoa that the Members of Parliament represent? So when they speak overseas their opinions reflect the broad will of the people. Is that not true? Interestingly the Leader of the HRPP delegation reaffirmed Samoas support for the One-China policy. One China policy The One-China policy is a principle that there is one China and that mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are all part of that China. The acceptance or rejection of this principle is a major factor in relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC), which governs mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, and the Republic of China (ROC), which governs Taiwan. Samoa is one of eight Pacific countries to adhere to the one-China policy, therefore supporting the Anti-Secession Law and opposing "Taiwan independence." By affirming our stance on the one-China policy, Samoa only serves to support suppressive actions by China in Tibet where there is current social unrest. The One-China policy is held adamantly by the PRC. It requires all countries seeking diplomatic relations with it to acknowledge its version of the policy and refrain from maintaining relations with the ROC. One Samoa policy Despite the severity of the one-China policy, Samoa has only gained from the relations. Interestingly the foreign policy of China, is less direct compared to that of Australia or say the United States of America. With a less than subtle approach, Chinas presence in the Pacific region is welcomed amid the bullying images of certain developed countries in the regional political realm. But Samoa is no fool when it comes to accepting a handshake for beautiful buildings and mass scale development. Although Samoa is in no way divided in comparison to our other Pacific neighbours, there is certainly a simmering feeling of discontent in the nation. Perhaps before our Members of Parliament venture out of our shores, they should probably establish a feeling of solidarity at home first. So while they bask in the glory of the one-China policy, our people are mulling over the state of the more than one Samoan policy. The “pick the log out of your eye” quote comes to mind. Cheers Samoa Comments (1) Subscribe to this comment's feed The Girl is a______? written by My Name, April 02, 2008 what is a beautiful girl doing hugging the dragon? Write comment Name Email Title Comment

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