Dear [Congressperson],
I recently read that The Formosa Foundation has invited you to attend a Congressional screening of the film Formosa Betrayed in mid-September. This film is significant in helping every American Citizen understand what has gone on in Taiwan and how important the Taiwan relationship is in protecting US interests in Asia; for this reason I hope that you would make time in your busy schedule to attend.
While there is no doubt that Taiwanese can stand on their own, Taiwanese have suffered throughout history from whichever conquering nation happened to rule, including the Dutch, Japanese, and Chinese. Unfortunately this situation has not changed today; Taiwanese struggle to be recognized, even by its own various cultures and ethnicities, as an island people of their own culture and identity. Much of this is due to the US government allowing the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to colonize Taiwan after WWII; the KMT proceeded to convince the multi-ethnic Taiwanese that they were Chinese, and Taiwan belonged to mother China. This ethnic and cultural genocide started from the “228″ incident in 1947 and continued into the 1980’s; hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese were killed by the KMT.
Taiwan’s recent history cannot be divorced from that of the United States and the film Formosa Betrayed illustrates a critical turning-point in the democratization of Taiwan and its relationship to the United States. This film is seminal because it presents Taiwan’s human rights history and will provide broader audiences an opportunity to glimpse the human story behind the Taiwanese struggle for identity.
Many are now concerned that the democracy and human rights that people fought and died for are once again under siege; the current KMT dominated government in Taiwan is again engaging in cultural cleansing; denying Taiwanese identity and pushing a pan-”Chinese culture as superior” agenda. Now more than ever it is important that leaders in Congress understand our shared past and stand firm in support of Taiwan’s young democracy.
As this Taiwan situation is so important, especially America’s continued close relationship with the Taiwanese in acting as a counterweight to the rise of a nationalistic and increasingly aggressive China, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the film.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
formosa-betrayed-congressional-invite
