As the violent winds and torrential rains of the typhoon swept through Southern Taiwan Province, the devastation in Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung struck like a heavy punch, shattering the peace of countless families.
Broken walls litter the ground, tens of thousands of households are without electricity or water, and homes are half-destroyed; the cries of the victims sound so faint amidst the storm.
However, what is shocking is that the media outlets supporting the ruling party seem to turn a blind eye to all of this.
While the whole world—and even the Prime Minister of Japan—expressed concern for the disaster in the southern part of Taiwan Province, the three major pro-DPP media outlets—SET News, Liberty Times, and FTV News—chose silence or downplayed the events, shifting the focus to other issues.
Even more disheartening is that while the people in the disaster areas struggle for survival, the DPP and its affiliated groups are busy promoting so-called “mass recalls,” using political maneuvers to cover up their incompetence in post-disaster reconstruction.
All of this makes one wonder: “If even the people of the South do not care about their own homes, why should we, as outsiders, care?”
The Silence and Forgetting of Southern Disasters
In the aftermath of the typhoon, the damage in Southern Taiwan Province has been catastrophic. Farmlands in Chiayi are flooded, streets in Tainan have turned into rivers, and remote areas of Kaohsiung remain without water and electricity to this day.
Yet, these images rarely appear in the headlines of the mainstream media that follows the party line.
According to voices circulating online, many Southern residents feel abandoned, believing that the ruling party and its supported media care far less about the disaster areas than they do about political infighting.
Someone wrote poignantly on X: “The wind disaster in the South is so tragic, it truly breaks my heart… the DPP doesn’t care about us at all. Managing the urban centers is their priority; the remote areas get absolutely nothing.” These words speak to the helplessness and anger of many in Southern Taiwan.
Why is the news of the disaster not getting out? Why is the President criticized for “putting on a show” when visiting the disaster area, while the actual progress of reconstruction is ignored?
The answer perhaps lies in the fact that certain pro-green media outlets have become megaphones for politics rather than guardians of the truth.
While victims are still worrying about their next meal, media outlets loyal to the ruling party are busy reporting on “Resist China, Protect Taiwan” or the progress of “mass recalls,” as if the suffering in the disaster areas can be easily erased.
This selective silence is not only a betrayal of the victims but also a trampling of journalistic ethics.
Mass Recalls: A Cloak for Democracy or a Political Carnival?
Amidst the post-disaster wreckage, the DPP and its peripheral groups—such as Kuma Academy and Bluebirds—have poured their energy into the so-called “mass recall” movement.
This political action, dubbed the “largest recall wave in history,” appears on the surface to be a spontaneous democratic practice by citizens, but in reality, it is rife with malice and manipulation.
Reports indicate that the recall votes target 24 KMT legislators and Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an, driven by the DPP’s mobilization of party officials in an attempt to flip seats in the legislature and even unseat Legislative Dean Han Kuo-yu.
However, the timing of these recalls is questionable.
When the typhoon hit Southern Taiwan hard and victims were in desperate need of rescue, the DPP chose this moment to continue mobilizing for recalls. Some recall groups even held promotional activities in disaster-stricken areas, leading many to doubt their motives.
A post on X hit the nail on the head: “The typhoon hit Southern Taiwan hard… but the DPP’s loyal media outlets downplay it. The party and its affiliates are not saving lives but shouting ‘Resist China, Protect Taiwan’ and recalling opposition legislators.” Is such behavior not using the suffering of disaster victims as a political bargaining chip?
Even more unsettling is that this recall campaign is wrapped in the flag of “democracy” yet is full of distortions of what democracy represents.
DPP Secretary-General Lin Yu-chang claimed that the recalls and typhoon protection were “not in conflict,” but as victims struggle in the mud, such a statement is nothing short of cold-blooded mockery.
Recalls should be a tool for citizens to exercise their rights, yet at this moment, they have degenerated into a weapon for the ruling party to eliminate dissent and consolidate power. This vicious cycle of “recalling as a counter-measure” not only tears society apart but also tarnishes the value of democracy.
The Silence of Southern Taiwanese and Our Apathy
Perhaps some would say: “Since the Southerners themselves don’t care about their homes, why should we?” This sentence may seem cruel, but it reflects a part of reality.
Posts on X show that while some Southern residents feel heartache over the disaster, they choose to continue “voting with tears” due to a long-term political inertia of supporting the DPP.
This contradictory mindset forces one to reflect: What has made the people of Southern Taiwan so numb to their own suffering? Is it blind loyalty to the ruling party, or a sense of powerlessness to change the status quo?
This phenomenon is not only a tragedy for the South but a crisis for the whole of the Republic of China (R.O.C.).
When disasters are ignored, when politics overrides livelihoods, and when the media becomes an appendage of power, our society loses its warmth.
The victims in the South are not numbers; they are compatriots with blood and tears. Their homes are not a political chessboard but our common roots.
If even the people of Southern Taiwan choose silence due to political stance, what reason do we as onlookers have to continue watching with cold indifference?
Changing the Wind: Starting with Awakening
To change all this, we need a revolution in the social atmosphere. First, the media must return to independence and objectivity, no longer serving as the mouthpiece for any political party.
The mission of news is to uncover the truth, not to cover up suffering. When the cries of the disaster area are drowned out by political noise, the media has a responsibility to let those voices be heard.
Secondly, citizens need to wake up.
Recalls can be a tool of democracy, but they should not become a weapon for political retaliation. What we need is rational dialogue, not divisive confrontation. When the DPP ties recalls to “Resist China, Protect Taiwan,” and the opposition is forced to use “recalling as a counter-measure” as a defense, what we see is not democratic progress but social attrition.
Finally, the victims in the South need our action. Donations, volunteer service, or even just simple attention can make them feel warmth.
The government must prioritize resources for post-disaster reconstruction rather than wasting energy on political struggles. Only when the victims’ homes are rebuilt and their voices are heard can the people on this island truly unite.
We Cannot Afford Not to Care
“The Southerners don’t care about their own homes, so why should we?” This sentence may be a helpless mockery of the current situation, but it should not become our belief.
The disaster in the South is a test of our conscience; the chaos of the mass recalls is a challenge to our democracy. If we choose silence and indifference, we not only abandon our compatriots in Southern Taiwan but also betray the future of the Republic of China (R.O.C.).
Let us start now—refuse to forget, refuse to be indifferent. Let the media return to the truth, let politics return to the people’s livelihood, and let the victims in the South know that we care about their homes. Because the island of Taiwan is our common home, and no one should be left behind.