Taiwanese Association of Greater Seattle
Member Ms. Clare Huang’s Speech on July 1, 2021 at Protest Against CCP Event in Seattle
Hi everyone, thank you all for coming to this event. My name is Claire, and I am one of the board members of Taiwanese Association of Greater Seattle. It is truly my honor to be here. First, I would like to thank the US government for donating 2.5 million vaccine doses to Taiwan this June. It is the gesture of strong friendship between the US and Taiwan. Again, thank you so much for your support!
As a Taiwanese, I would like to share with you how Taiwan has been suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over the decades. Taiwan is an independent country. However, the CCP claims that Taiwan is part of China which is a lie. There have been countless military force threats by flying fighter jets near Taiwan and verbal threats over the years. During the pandemic, the CCP blocked Taiwan’s access to the WHO and vaccine purchase which put 23 million Taiwanese lives in danger. A lot of my Taiwanese friends (including myself) in the US also experienced the suppression. When people ask us which country we are from, we say Taiwan. Many Chinese will refute us and say that Taiwan is not a country and it’s a part of China. It is just ridiculous and disrespectful!
Many of us might have learned what has been happening in Hong Kong and Xinjiang in the past few years. Millions of Hong Kongers protested against the anti-extradition bill to fight for their political autonomy and freedom of speech. Why? Because the CCP has been lying to them in the past 20 years. The CCP promised Hong Kong to preserve its political autonomy and other freedoms for 50 years in 1997. However, the CCP gradually intruded into Hong Kong’s political system and then forcibly passed the National Security Law in June 2020. People could be arrested and taken to China for unfair trials. It violates human rights, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
In Xinjiang, a woman who survived the concentration camp for Uyghurs said “our souls are dead”. During the two years in the camp, she was systematically dehumanized, humiliated, and brainwashed. “Their goal is to destroy everyone” another survivor said. You cannot imagine how human beings are treated like that. How can the CCP lie to the whole world by calling these camps “re-education camp” and treating its people inhumanly. According to a report called “The Uyghur Genocide” by Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy published this March, there are at least 1 million Uyghurs imprisoned. Many are dying from inhumane abuse and neglect. This is a genocide happening right now, at this very moment.
Therefore, I urge you, every one of you to speak up for the people who have suffered, who are suppressed by the CCP. If we don’t speak up for them, no one will stand out for us when we’re in need in the future.