一封給在自由廣場的學生們的信

一封給在自由廣場的學生們的信

“除非得到你的同意，否則沒有人能讓你感到自卑。”

Eleanor Roosevelt(前美國第一夫人，世界人權宣言起草人)

給台灣的學生們：

我十分欣賞你們有勇氣及決心，以平和的方式反對受到壓迫的公民自由權。我相信在民主體制下的人民，有鄭重的責任去面對自己的言論自由被威脅時提高警覺並勇敢的應對。藉由向全世界展現當言論自由及平和的集會自由被不公平的否認時你們將如何應對，你們將有機會創造歷史。

自1960年代以來我經常造訪香港，我曾經以參訪教授的身份任教於香港大學長達一年半之久。過去十年中，我看著香港的言論自由緩慢且持續的被侵蝕。在公開場合表演的脫口秀主持人被革職；大多數的香港報社記者表示他們不斷的被審查，甚至審查別人；香港的公民的不再有權票選總統，且當局主要首長還得向北京的中共政府報備。當然啦，在1999年英國政權到期後，香港勢必要回歸中共，這是無可避免的。

我必須認同你們的觀點──因為我也擔心在種種政治程序及因素下，台灣將會步上香港的後塵，但我相信透過各位平和的抗議，你們將有能力影響台灣政府下一步要走的方向。

台灣大學參訪教授

Arthur Woodward

A Letter to the Students in the Freedom Plaza…

“No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.", Eleanor Roosevelt

Students of Taiwan,

I admire your courage and determination as you peacefully object to the recent suppression of your civil liberties. I believe the people of a democracy have a sacred responsibility to be vigilant, and to act courageously when their freedom of expression is threatened. You have an opportunity to make history by showing the entire world how you respond when your freedom of expression and right peacefully to assemble are unfairly denied.

I have been visiting Hong Kong since the 1960s. I was a visiting professor at Hong Kong University for a year and a half recently. I have followed the slow but steady erosion of freedom of expression in Hong Kong in the last decade. Talk show hosts who were outspoken were removed. The majority of Hong Kong newspaper reporters say they are censored, or censor themselves. The citizens of Hong Kong are not allowed to vote for a President, and the “Chief Executive” of Hong Kong reports to the Central People’s Government in Beijing. Of course the handover of Hong Kong to China was unavoidable, because the 99 year lease to England had expired.

I must admit to you -- I worry that events are slowly leading Taiwan in the same direction as Hong Kong, for different reasons and by different political processes. But I believe you have in your hands the power to influence the direction of your government through peaceful protest.

Visiting professor of NTU

Arthur Woodward