關於 language and national identity ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

Tomorrow, we celebrate the Philippine Independence Day.

When we waved our flag on June 12th 1898, we declared our freedom from 300 years of colonial oppression. 300 years of having fellow Filipinos turned against each other. 300 years of being called “Indio”—“an inferior race.”

We never were, and never will be an inferior race. Our ancestors had formed communities, alliances, networks of trade and commerce; Diplomacy with our Asian neighbors. They possessed their own leadership and governance. Codes. Language. Culture. Their creativity, ingenuity and resilience is what has been passed into the very core of every Filipino today.

Subsequent foreign occupations, years of political turmoil, and the wounds of division caused by our experiences seem to have made many of us believe that we occupy a small space in this world. But let us not forget that many of us are the driving forces in industries around the world— from healthcare, to media, arts, engineering—and are even the backbone of household and care support, on which major economies rely.

In postcolonial discussions, one often wonders about “National Identity.” I’ve stopped trying to define it in a box—because what we have is a special tapestry. Over 7,000 islands with unique dialects, cultural influences, and ways of thinking. With so much to offer, what we can do is only limited by what we believe.

The freedom we will need is that of our mind. We are stronger than we believe ourselves to be.

Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan, Pilipinas!
(Happy Independence Day, Philippines!)

The Mufti, Dr Nazirudin Nasir, wrote to me to express Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis)’s support for the Government’s deliberations on letting nurses wear the tudung. I replied to him, thanking Muis for their support.

On sensitive issues involving race and religion, our practice is to engage behind closed doors, so that we can all talk candidly and honestly, and understand the problem from different perspectives.

In Singapore we treat everyone equally, regardless of race, language or religion. We seek to build a national identity shared by all communities, while enabling every community to practise their own faith and way of life. Through mutual accommodation, compromise and trust building, we have succeeded in living harmoniously together.

As our society evolves, so too will social attitudes and norms. But any changes to the balance we have achieved must be carefully considered. Ultimately the changes must strengthen, not weaken, our racial and religious harmony.

I am grateful to Muis for their efforts to strengthen our social cohesion, and achieve progress for the Muslim society and all Singaporeans.

I have shared the Mufti’s letter and my reply here. – LHL

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Mufti Negara, Dr Nazirudin Nasir, telah menulis kepada saya melahirkan sokongan terhadap perbincangan Pemerintah mengenai kemungkinan untuk membenarkan jururawat memakai tudung. Saya telah membalas surat beliau dan mengucapkan terima kasih atas sokongan Muis.

Bagi isu-isu sensitif yang menyentuh soal kaum dan agama, lazimnya, kita mengadakan perbincangan secara tertutup bersama anggota masyarakat dan juga pihak-pihak lain. Ini supaya kita semua boleh berkongsi pandangan dengan jujur dan terus terang, faham perspektif lain mengenai isu tersebut dan berbincang dari hati ke hati.

Di Singapura, kita berlaku adil kepada semua pihak tanpa mengira kaum, bahasa atau agama. Kita mahu membina identiti negara yang dikongsi oleh semua lapisan masyarakat, yang membolehkan setiap kaum mengamalkan cara hidup dan kepercayaan masing-masing. Dengan mengamalkan sikap bertolak ansur, saling menghormati dan mempercayai antara satu sama lain, kita telah berjaya menikmati kehidupan yang aman damai bersama.

Apabila negara kita berubah dan berkembang, begitu juga sikap dan norma masyarakat. Namun setiap perubahan yang kita lakukan mesti dipertimbangkan dengan teliti dan berhati-hati. Akhirnya, perubahan yang kita buat harus memperkukuh keharmonian kaum dan agama kita dan bukan melemahkannya.

Saya menghargai pelbagai usaha Muis untuk memperteguh perpaduan sosial kita demi mencapai kemajuan bagi masyarakat Islam setempat dan semua rakyat Singapura.

Anda boleh baca surat Mufti dan surat balas daripada saya di sini. – LHL

🗞️🗞️🗞️香港英文媒體 Hong Kong Free Press HKFP （香港自由新聞）刊登一則我的專訪，題目為：

《民主前線的台灣政治人物：距離中國大陸17公里》
（The Taiwanese politician on the frontline of democracy, 17 km from mainland China）

🌏閱讀全文
https://tinyurl.com/4sc22hvp

【內文節錄】

🔺“So the Chinese Communist Party, they try to tell the world that if you identity with Chinese culture, then you must support the CCP. They try to equate the two. But what we’re seeing in Matsu, especially in the younger generation, is you can simultaneously take pride in Chinese culture or Fujian heritage and stand against authoritarianism, against the CCP.”

中國共產黨想要告訴世界，如果你認同中華文化，就一定要支持中共。他們想要兩者劃上等號。但我們在馬祖看到的，特別是年輕世代，一個人可能以中華文化或福建閩東文化為榮，也同時反對威權主義、反對中共。

🔺Lii added that another way to resist Chinese authoritarianism, which asserts a homogeneous national identity, was to embrace a nuanced sense of national unity without negating minority cultures in Taiwan.

李問也指出抵制中共威權主義的另一個面向：中共往往想要把同質性的國家認同，強加在不同的地區。但台灣對於凝聚內部認同，應該更細緻，避免忽視國內少數族群、地區的文化。

🔺“For Taiwan to move forward to become a better country, can we present a better narrative of national cohesion without erasing the identities of offshore islands?” he asked. “There should be unity or solidarity among people in Taiwan who hold a Chinese identity or a Taiwanese identity.”

「如果台灣要不斷進步成為一個更好的國家，我們可否提出一套凝聚國族的論述，又同時避免抹煞離島的認同？」他這樣問。「在台灣，擁有中華文化認同與台灣文化認同的人，應該要彼此團結。」

🔺This common, unifying factor should be support for democracy.

團結所有人的公約數，就是支持民主。

🔺As a free enclave on the edge of China, the islands of Matsu offered a glimpse of what a democratic China can look like. “If we can create a working two-party system in Matsu, then we show to the world a positive example in which an area which speaks the Fuzhou language can [enjoy democracy].”

作為位處中國邊緣一塊自由的飛地，馬祖列島有機會讓世界看見一個民主的中國，所能展現的樣貌。「如果我們在馬祖成功創造兩黨體制，我們向全世界證明一個成功的例子，一個講福州話的地區也能〔享有民主〕。」

🔺For Lii, the fact that Matsu can be a beacon of democracy on the edge of China is a source of pride. “I think this is something Matsu can be proud of, regardless of party politics.”

對李問來說，馬祖在中國邊緣可以作為一個民主的燈塔，便值得驕傲。「我覺得這是馬祖可以驕傲的事情，不管政黨立場。」

#讓世界看見馬祖
#自由的馬祖撐香港的自由

Campus TV, HKUSU Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/hkucampustv

「凡是渴望在這個遺忘之島上尋找意義與故鄉的人必須勇敢承擔思想、記憶與認同的重量。」──吳叡人

香港民族位處於中國邊陲，努力尋找屬於自己的身份和歷史。香港大學學生會特意邀請了《想象的共同體：民族主義的起源和散佈》譯者吳叡人先生為我們分享，透過比較沖繩、香港及台灣民族主義的興起和流變，引發我們對於「自我」與「他者」的思辨。

日期：二零一五年四月二十一日（星期二）
地點：百週年校園LG.08室
時間：晚上六時至九時（五時半登記入場）
講題：沖繩、香港及台灣的民族主義興起
名額：150人
語言：國語（大會將提供英語即時傳譯）

講者：吳叡人
台灣桃園人，畢業於臺灣大學政治系、芝加哥大學政治系博士，專攻比較政治和政治理論等範疇。吳老師為《想象的共同體：民族主義的起源和散佈》的譯者，早年任職日本早稻田大學政治經濟學部講座教授，現任中央研究院臺灣史研究所副研究員。

主持：李啟迪
學苑前專題編輯、《香港民族論》的作者之一，現就讀香港大學社會科學學院，雙主修政治與公共行政和歷史。

‘He who desires to pursue meaning and origins on this island of oblivion must bear the weight of thoughts, memories, and recognition.’—Dr Wu Rwei-ren

At the periphery of China, the Hong Kong nationality has been pursuing our own identity and history. HKUSU has now invited Dr Wu Rwei-ren, the translator of ‘Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origins and Spread of Nationalism’, to share his thoughts on such issue. A comparison of the rise and change of nationalism among Okinawa, Hong Kong, and Taiwan shall surely inspire our thoughts on the meaning of ‘ourselves’ and ‘the others’.

Date: 21 April 2015
Venue: LG.08, Centennial Campus
Time: 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Topic: The Rise of Nationalism in Okinawa, Hong Kong, and Taiwan
Seats: 150
Language: Mandarin (instant English interpretation will be provided)

Guest speaker: Dr Wu Rwei-ren
From Taoyuan, Taiwan, Dr Wu graduated from the Department of Political Science at the National Taiwan University and earned his doctoral degree from the University of Chicago in politics with a research focus on comparative politics and political theory. As the translator of ‘Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origins and Spread of Nationalism’, he was formerly the Chair Professor at the School of Political Science and Economics at the Waseda University, Japan. He is currently the associate research fellow at the Institute of Taiwan History of the Academia Sinica.

Host: Mr Lee Kai-tik, Jack
Mr Lee is a former Feature Editor of Undergrad, HKUSU and one of the writers of ‘Hong Kong Nationalism’. He is a student from the Faculty of Social Sciences of HKU and is currently majoring in Politics and Public Administration and History.