Taiwan Today

Now it's the boat people, and Free China welcomes them, but Taiwan has provided haven for many others escaping Communism in the last 30 years

The Republic of China knows as much about refugees as any country in the world. About 12 million people are estimated to have left the Chinese mainland since the Communist usurpation of 1949. They are found today not only in Hongkong but also in the Republic of China on Taiwan and many other lands. The Free China Relief Association has resettled more than 167,000 refugees and provided refugee assistance in more than 8 million cases. FCRA operates both within Taiwan and abroad. No case is too small or insignificant to warrant its attention.

When Indochina fell to the Communists in 1975, FCRA and the government of the Republic of China braced for a flood of refugees. There had been preliminary indications of what was to come. Some Chinese of South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos left their places of residence for a new life in Taiwan over the years. Some students who came to Taiwan for high school and college education did not return to Southeast Asia. People and authorities of the Republic of China were sympathetic. They knew all about the anguish of refugees.

They also knew about Communism and the compelling reasons for refugee departures. Even so, the magnitude of the exodus by the boat people came as something of a surprise. Close to half a million people put out into the storms of the South China Sea in battered, unseaworthy vessels. Escape was easy. The Vietnamese authorities wanted to get rid of these hapless people. There was no concern for their destination, or for their fate in case they didn't arrive.

About a third of the boat people died in their flights to freedom. Many of those who arrived somewhere — anywhere — were not welcomed. They were driven off by some countries. Others accepted them reluctantly and tried to push them onward as fast as possible. There was an exception to this: the Republic of China, although Taiwan has the world's second highest population density. Only Bangladesh has less living room for the number of people it must support. Nevertheless, the government of the Republic of China quickly said it would welcome as many refugees as possible. None reaching its shores would be turned away. None spotted on the high seas by its vessels would be left to drown.

Various refugee aid programs have been under way for several years. Some are informal — such as the members of a family in Taiwan extending a helping hand to relatives fleeing Communism. Others are highly institutionalized, including camps for the reception of refugees before their resettle­ment in the Republic of China or elsewhere. On November 14 of 1979, President Chiang Ching-kuo reaffirmed the government's policy of making every effort to help refugees escaping from Indochina. He authorized the government to continue arranging for Vietnamese refugees in Thailand to be airlifted to the Republic of China. He also said that as many boat people as possible should be resettled in Taiwan. A large quantity of rice was pledged for refugee relief.

Implementation by the Executive Yuan (Ca­binet) was taken the day after the President's policy announcement. Premier Sun Yun-suan said 2,000 more Indochinese refugees would be ac­cepted, raising the total to 13,000. Thirty thousand tons of rice worth US$10 million was earmarked for shipment to refugee camps in Southeast Asia. This constituted the third contribution of food and money. The government gave US$500,000 to the International Rescue Committee in March of 1979. The following June, a fund of more than US$250,000 and 10,000 tons of rice were made available.

Reporting on use of the $500,000, the In­ternational Rescue Committee said the money had paid for medical programs in Malaysia and Thailand, for refugee facilities in Hongkong and for refugee relief to help those leaving Cambodia. Charles Sternberg, the IRC executive director, and executive member Warren Meeker thanked the Republic of China for its "compassion and generosity." Their letter said: "The Taiwan donation has made possible the saving of thousands of deserving and brave people who otherwise would have perished in misery and agony."

Islanders of Taiwan know the sea and have been especially concerned about the plight of the boat people. In his November report, Premier Sun said "All of the Republic of China's vessels at sea have been alerted to be on the lookout for boat people and take them aboard." Some of the boat people reached waters in the Taiwan area, a desperate voyage of many hundreds of miles.

The hearts of the Free Chinese people also went out to the hard1'ressed overseas Chinese of Indochina. Some Taiwan families had relatives there. Some families were even emigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos. From the beginning, the Republic of China had warned that the North Vietnamese Communists would deal harshly with the large Chinese population in South Vietnam. That turned out to be an understatement. The Vietnam Communist authorities decided on a policy of getting rid of the Chinese. If they died in the process of leaving, the regime in Hanoi didn't care.

Chinese in South Vietnam were not newcomers to the country. They had been there for many generations. They had played an important role in the country's modernization. But Hanoi regarded them as foreigners and exploiters. The Chinese Communists, who had supported North Vietnam in the war against South Vietnam and the United States, offered no helping hand. Red China, in fact, was already making plans for its own invasion of Vietnam.

Free Chinese help for refugees from Indochina began long before any of them took to boats. As the war ended following North Vietnamese invasion of the South, some Chinese were brought to Taiwan on planes and warships. A relief task force was established to make plans for rescue operations and the reception and care of refugees. The Free China Relief Association was put in charge of vocational and educational guidance, relief, medi­cal care and assistance to children.

FCRA arranged for use of Marine Corps facilities at Chiuchutang in southern Taiwan as a recep­tion center. Nearly 4,000 refugees were brought there from April 23 to July 31 in 1975. Vocational training was given to those without useful skills. Some 550 children under the age of 13 were cared for by the Taipei Child Welfare Association under the jurisdiction of FCRA. Those eligible were enrolled in neighborhood schools. A six-story building was constructed to provide family-style living accommodations for orphans. FCRA raised the funds for these projects. In May, a special appropriation was made to finance the extra costs of Taiwan schools in educating nearly 2,500 refugee children.

As need arose, the government chartered planes to fly refugees from Thailand to Taiwan. Through arrangements of the International Red Cross, more than 20 flights have been made and 3,075 refugees brought to new homes. Some refugees had relatives in Taiwan and were assured of warm and loving care. Others hoped for processing for onward journeys to the United States or elsewhere. Still others wished to resettle in the Republic of China. Whatever their destinations, the refugees were made to feel they were wanted. Those without funds received monthly allowances. There were gifts for adults as well as children.

The flood of boat people began in 1977. Free Chinese fishing vessels picked up refugees in the South China Sea. In June, 64 refugees reached waters nearly Liuchiu Island off Pingtung County of Taiwan. Another task force was created to help the boat people. It had instructions to rescue and care for as many as possible.

The Free China Relief Association was en­trusted with the mission of establishing a reception center for boat people. Buildings at a village in the Penghu Islands (Pescadores) were taken over and prepared for use as a refugee camp. By October of 1979, the agency had received nearly 1,500 Indochinese refugees at Paisha village. Of the first arrivals, 854 emigrated to the United States, 52 elected resettlement in Taiwan, 40 went to Canada, 2 to Belgium and 1 each to Australia and the Philippines. As of the end of 1979, the center still housed some 500 refugees, including three babies born there. Most of these people were awaiting the completion of immigration formalities by various countries of the Free World. Funds have been allocated for the construction of another reception center at West Island in the Penghu. This will be ready to receive any new wave of boat people.

The Paisha center was made as comfortable as possible, and all essential services were provided. Arriving refugees were given a complete physical examination. Those who were not seriously ill could be treated at dispensaries and missionary hospitals of Penghu. Serious cases were sent to Taiwan hospitals. Families were kept together. Special arrangements were made for orphans. No distinctions were made as to nationality. Racially, most of the Indochinese reaching Taiwan have been Chinese.

FCRA has had long experience in vocational training activities in Taiwan. Most refugees from the Chinese mainland are lacking in sophisticated skills. FCRA has sponsored classes in languages, typing and even housekeeping. For a time, refugee girls were trained as housemaids. Taiwan's advanc­ing living standard then virtually eliminated the servant class. At Paisha, where so many refugees were waiting to leave for the United States, em­phasis was placed on learning English. Classes were held for two hours daily. Other academic subjects were offered, along with vocational training. Where language permitted, children were sent to local primary schools. Nursery school and kindergarten activities were set up for toddlers. Recreation was not neglected. Sports and lectures were encouraged. A library was opened with ample stocks of books, newspapers and magazines. Color television sets were installed to pick up the daily programming of the three Taiwan networks.

Some of the boat people have harrowing stories to tell. A number were picked up after all hope was gone. Some had reached uninhabited islands and still managed to survive. Others told of being passed up by ships that might have saved them. This led to the govern­ment's decision that vessels of the Republic of China — whether fishing vessels, commercial craft or warships — were not to refuse succor to any boat people in distress.

The feelings of refugees can be summed up as those of rejoicing and gratitude. Many have been through terrible ordeals. After 13 months in a forced labor camp, Liou Shao-ching summed up his feelings by saying that he had hoped for nothing more than to wear a pair of pants without patches. He hadn't dared to dream of escaping to freedom.

One family of six reached Taiwan after three years of trying to escape from Vietnam.

Widow Jung Yu-lian brought her husband's ashes. She said he had hoped to be buried in the Free World and that she derived great comfort from being able to bring that wish to fulfillment.

At 94 years of age, Hsieh Cheng is the oldest of the refugees received in Free China. She said she was too old to work but made herself useful by working on handicrafts and helping take care of children.

One lady and her late husband had sent two sons to university in Taiwan. The boys stayed on in Kaohsiung, so she was finally able to leave Vietnam and come to live with them. But her heart was filled with sadness for the two sons and four daughters who had to be left in Vietnam. For Chinese, work is almost impossible to find there. Few Chinese children in Indochina have had any schooling since 1975.

Liang Ju-lin, 79, and his wife, 76, were allowed to come to Taipei to live with a daughter. Other family members were not so fortunate.

Chung Teh-hsia, who taught Mandarin in Saigon, arrived with his wife, three sons and a daughter. His teaching job vanished with the coming of the Communists. For more than four years, the family ate on the skimpy earnings of Mrs. Chung, who peddled groceries on the street. Chung's hope was that he could obtain work and support his family. He wanted to assure the resumption of education for his sons aged 12 and 9 and make sure that the youngest son, 5, and the infant daughter had a good prospect for life.

Chan Li-ching was a senior in junior high school when the Communists came in 1975. That was the end of her schooling. Now she has the chance to resume her studies. Her parents had sent her older brother to Taiwan for a college education in 1968. He was graduated in 1972 and settled down to work and marriage. Now he is seeing to his sister's ongoing education.

Lee Shih-sen was dean of the overseas Chinese Po-ai College, which was quickly shut down by the Communists. After that, he had no job. He had a degree from National Chengchi University in Taipei, and that was enough to damn him with the conquerors. In four years, he lost 30 pounds. That didn't bother him. "Losing weight was nothing," he said. "What counted was the loss of spirit." That is back now. He speaks Chinese, English, French and Vietnamese. That is a meaningful accomplishment in terms of Taiwan employa­bility. He is starting all over again but with confidence that he can build a new life for himself and his family.

These stories are typical. One unusual refugee tale of the last few years is that of a girl who was plucked from death on a desert island together with a number of others. She was alone in the world. Her mother had died on the boat they had boarded in Vietnam. She spoke Vietnamese but there was something strange about her name. In time it turned out that her father had returned to the Philippines from Vietnam and had lost touch with his family. Through lengthy efforts of FCRA and the International Red Cross, father and daughter were brought into contact and she flew off to a happy reunion.

If the Republic of China could return its sover­eignty and government to the mainland, the gates would be quickly opened wide to refugees. With millions of Indochinese refugees seeking shelter and sanctuary, that is not possible in Taiwan. The island simply doesn't have the room. With an area of less than 14,000 square miles, the population is approaching 18 million. The most populous state in the American union, California, has nearly 24 million people in more than 158,000 square miles of far less mountainous terrain than that of Taiwan.

Despite the shortage of space, instructions of President Chiang and Premier Sun are being carried out. Boat people in need of help are not being left aboard sinking ships. No refugee in desperate straits will be turned away. If those reaching Free China wish to go on to other lands, every attempt will be made to help them. If they prefer resettlement in Taiwan, the FCRA and the government will cooperate.

Not everyone in Taiwan can be described as a refugee. But the problem is very close to home. There are mainlanders in the island province who haven't seen loved ones for three decades. Yet they have not forgotten either their relatives or their homes. The people of Taiwan understand the loneliness and even the desperation of refugees. They are doing all in their power to provide new homes and new hope that refugees one day will return to their old homes or at least be reunited with loved ones.

Both President Chiang and Premier Sun have urged other free countries to open their hearts to the Indochinese refugees. In a world of well over 4 billion people, the rescue and salvation of a few million refugees is not impossible.