Re: Hakkas diasaster -Reply

[teoh@cs.utk.edu]

>From kslim@singnet.com.sg Mon Jan 13 21:11:28 1997
From: KOON SANG LIM <kslim@singnet.com.sg>
Subject: Re: Hakkas diasaster -Reply  
Status: RO

[moderator: Chhiang ki yit fun to fhakka@asiawind.com  Tou Chhia !]

>>From Greg.Zeng@hlos.com.au Wed Jan  8 06:24:24 1997
>Subject: Re: Hakkas diasaster -Reply
>
>> 1) The murdered County chief Liu et al and Ms. Peng are justed
>> happened to be Hakkas.  
>
>In white Australia, they used to mention the rare instances of "Asian"
>prominence, but only in the bad news items.  Luckily most media
>publishers now avoid the racist overtones.
>
>> 2) When we talked about Hakka is suppressed in Taiwan, we talked
>> mainly the suppression of Hakka language. When we were in grade
>> school in Taiwan many years ago, we couldn't speak Hakka.  
>
>Many other minority languages were also suppressed.  I would not call
>this "racism" nor sectarianism.

I agree.  We don't use Hakka in schoolds in Singapore neither.  But I use it
when I am with the family.  That was how I learnt to speak Hakka.  I don't
see any Govt., Including Taiwan and the PRC , can afford to use Hakka or any
other dialects in shcools.  They can't afford to please every one.
  
>
>> The radiostation was
>> finally approved about few months ago after more than 2 years in
>> existence. Yes, Hakka people in Taiwan had quite few major
>> protests in the streets of Taiwan. Therefore, the conditions
>> improved significantly recently.
>
>Taiwan and most of the world, is new to "democracy".  In a "democracy",
>the power elite demand that you educate them.  "Demonstrations" are a
>primitive form of public education.  For more advanced methods, I
>suggest that you look at the Jews of the USA, compared to the Jews of
>Israel.
>
>> The chairman of main opposition party is a Hakka but he almost
>> never said or did anything for Hakka. 

This Chairmain is elected by the electorate which I believe comprises many
different dislects.  Though I am a Hakka but I don't think it is right for
him to be biased towards Hakka.

 
>Check what a democracy is.  It is not a dictatorship, nor a "leadership"
>structure.  I define democracy as the "dictatorship" of all minority
>groups by the [mediocre] majority.  Elected politicians merely follow
>the almost invisible desires of the voting electorate.
>
>> Hakka is a minority and week politically and economically.
>
>Jews in the English speaking world are an electoral minority.  But they
>are so strong politically and economically that they create Hitler and
>the many Hitler-clones.

I beg to differ here.  I agree that they are politically and economically
powerful but they did not create Hitler and his clones!

>> 4) About 13-14% of population are Hakka.  In addition, the
>> economical power is week.  Hakka came to Taiwan later than Hoklo
>> and used to reside mainly in less futile areas and usually in the
>> country side. Not many industrialists are Hakka.
>
>Similar to Jews in the English speaking world
>
>> 5)Most importantly, organizations of Hakka people in Taiwan are
>> too fragmented to have a real strong voice.  
>
>I think that this might be caused by the formal language (Chinese) that
>cognitively imprisons the imagination of the Asian people (e.g. Koreans,
>Japanese, Vietnamese).  The alphabetic language, divorced from false
>cognitive linkages, allows freer communication from traditional taboos.

I am no linguistic expert and can't comment on this.  However, I observe
that though there are many dislects in China, there is only one written
language which, I bleieve, help eliminate the many problems a country like
India has(many different written languages so much so that they ned to use
English as official language.  We use English in Signapore as well but
that's because we have many races here).  This so-called cognitvely
imprisonning formal language(chinese) does help unify the chinese people.  



>
>> 6) When Mr. Lim Kuan Liong said we are brainless & stupid Hakka,
>> shame! shame!, I think he tried to blame Hakka ourself that
>> caused the less desirable status in Taiwan. 
>
>If a third-world person is cognitively imprisoned, I would not blame
>that person individually.  Advanced social engineering is required, in
>my opinion.  For example, the other Asian people are imprisoned in
>systems of formal language that reinforce the view that sexism, ageism
>and lookism are worthwhile and justified.
>
>Similarly, my Cantonese in-laws are imprisoned into crazy beliefs about
>the good-fortunes or bad-fortunes associated with Fung-Shui and
>numbers.

It may be so, but what do these beliefs(Fung-shui and numbers) have to do
with the language? 
I have seen Europeans and Americans believing in these after some prolonged
stay in HK without knowing the language.


  In my work with the Aids Council of NSW, plus my other work,
>only advanced social engineering is able to modify these cognitive
>structures.
>
>> 7) I posted yesterday about the Wales example. If Hakka people in
>> Taiwan have the similar attitude as Welsh then Hakka will
>> survive.  
>
>Welsh language and culture are not officially recognized nor used by any
>national government.  In this regard, Welsh is as dead as Cantonese and
>Hakka.
>
>I'm sorry for my serious overtones.  Hakka, although dead as a language
>and as a culture, is not irrelevant to the world's future.  Before it
>completely disappears however, we do need to define it, and then
>consciously give to the rest of the world, the best parts of our Hakka
>upbringing.
>
>
>
>
KS LIM
LOGIC GROUP OF COMPANIES
545 ORCHARD ROAD, #08-04/05
SINGAPORE 238882
TEL:65-7330553,FAX:65-7333068
E-MAIL: ks_lim@logchina.com.sg
        kslim@singnet.com.sg
KS LIM
LOGIC GROUP OF COMPANIES
545 ORCHARD ROAD #08-04/05
SINGAPORE 238882
TEL:65-7330553,FAX:65-7333068
E-MAIL: ks_lim@logchina.com.sg  
        kslim@singnet.com.sg