向長官報備 ── 陰魂不散的封建思想

馬英九政府終於呼應野草莓運動學生的要求，舉辦修改集遊法的公聽會，開始有模有樣地進行修改動作。

只是，集遊法由「准許制」改為「報備制」，爭議好像著重在「是不是自願」。另一個個人認為更重要卻完全被忽略，那就是「報備」這兩個字本身所代表的「階級觀念」。

「報備」，就字面上來看，是「報告備察」。

民主時代，政府與檢警，應該都是替人民服務的，沒有人民用選票授與權力，政府與檢警沒有存在的根基。因此人民才是一切權力的主人。

那，既然人民是主人，為什麼人民要表達意見，還要用「報備」這種字眼？

假設有一對主僕兩人，今天主人要外出購物，他會說：「我跟我的僕人『報備』一下」嗎？

當然不會，因為只有你自認為自己是下屬、是僕人、是奴隸，而且認為對方是上司、是主人、是擁有比你更高的階級地位時，你才會使用「報備」的字眼。

因此，不管集遊法最後改成是「自願報備」還是「強制報備」，都表示了，人民還是低階的，警方還是高高在上的。人民必須使用「報備」的姿態，才能行使一點應該有的權力。

這一點階級心態，在這一次「野草莓運動」裡，似乎完全被學生忽略。

另外，當學生一開始在行政院前抗議時，行政院派秘書長薛香川前往溝通。負責轉播的幾個學生，在描述薛秘書長時，似乎習慣性地使用「長官」的字眼。

長官？這不是應該是對你的直屬上司時才會使用的稱呼嗎？什麼時候，一個小小的秘書長，是人民的「直屬上司」了？為什麼就不能直接叫「秘書長」，而必須像個低階小老百姓一樣叫「長官」？是不是這年代的學生，心中還存有那種「把所有政府官員都當作父母官」的封建思想？

可見，台灣仍然脫不出以前威權教育的傳階級觀念。

對於集遊法，也許學生的訴求早已定位在「改為自願報備制」，但筆者仍要提出建議，應該捨棄「報備」字眼，改為「通知制」比較妥當。這也可以使台灣一些姿態跋扈、自認對人民有無上權威的警察一個明示：我們這是「通知你」，不是「向你報備」。

Live broadcast of student protest against police brutality in Taiwan

Updated : 081110.0745

The "martial law"-like police control that Ma Ying-jeou's government imposes on Taiwanese, especially that during the visit of Chen Yunlin (陳雲林), the chairman of Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), has triggered widespread anger among Taiwanese. Students all over the island are organizing protests to demand the government with the following appeals:

1) President Ma Ying-jeou and Premier Liu to apologize to the public;
2) Director of National Security Bureau and that of National Police Agency to step down;
3) Revise the unconstitutional Assembly And Parade Law (the current Law requires all demonstrations to be pre-approved, which often used as a political tool to screen protests);

The protest organizers insist the protest to be peaceful and non-partisan. The participation of any political figure is denied. No banner, flag, slogan are allowed, except the only one provided by the organizer, which reads: "The Police Violates the Law."

Live broadcasts are setup for people around the world to witness and participate:

1) Taipei: http://live.yahoo.com/wenli

This is the first protest. Started on 11am, Nov. 6th (Thursday) in front of Execute Yuan, it was dispersed by the police yesterday. Students regrouped on the Freedom Square. It's been going on for ~50 hours now.

2) Tainan: http://live.yahoo.com/tainandirect

Started just now (1 pm Taipei time, Nov. 8th, 2008). It's in Guang-Fu Campus of Cheng Kung University.

3) Taichung: http://1106.ezyou.cc/Home/tai-zhong-chang-ci

This one will start 2 pm, Nov, 9th, 2008, Sunday. See the above link for location. [Tim Maddog edit: It's at Citizens' Square (市民廣場), on the south side of Gongyi Rd. just west of Yingtsai Rd.]

Update-081110.0745:
live broadcast of Taichung protest:
http://live.yahoo.com/tcantiapl
Decode: tcantiapl = tc(Taichung) + anti + apl (Assembly and Parade Law)

Please spread the news.

Ma Ying-jeou is turning a democratic Taiwan into a police state. With the absolute authority he administrates, the current student protests could potentially be turned into "Tiananmen Square of Taiwan."

International media, if you are watching this, please H~E~L~P~~~ ...

Update-081110.0745:

1. MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Simultaneous broadcast of all protest sites at 12:30 PM, Nov.10, Monday, Taipei time (or, 11:00 PM, Nov.9, Sunday, Eastern Time)
   
   
2. The protest is officially called: Wild Strawberry (野草莓)
   
   
3. Hsinchu (新竹):
   11:00Am, Monday Nov.10 (Taipei time), Tsing Hua University (清大小吃部)
   
   
4. Changhua (彰化):
   Well it was between 4~5:00pm, Sunday, Nov.9. I didn't learn this until now. Don't know how it went.
   
   
5. Official websites of the protest:
   Taipei: http://action1106.blogspot.com
   Taichung: http://tcantiapl.twgogo.org
   English: http://taiwanstudentmovement2008.blogspot.com/
   
   
6. English writint/speaking volunteers needed urgently. Please contact yvonne8604(at)gmail(dot)com or check out the English site above)
   

cross-post @ Taiwan Matters