方恩格快評》海地強震後 臺灣可以這麼做

海地14日發生規模7.2大地震後,官方15日公佈死亡人數已經攀升至1297人,超過5700人受傷。(圖/路透社)

8 月 14 日地震後在海地發生的悲劇,是海地繼 7 月 7 日親臺灣總統摩伊士被暗殺後加劇其挑戰的第二起重大事件。 作爲少數幾個與中華民國保持正式外交關係的國家之一,臺灣有機會在海地需要幫助的時候挺身而出,向國際社會證明臺灣可以做的不僅僅是提供現金或「Taiwan Can Help」等標籤。 8月15日宣佈的50萬美元捐款只是一個開始,但臺灣可以做得更多。

一、臺灣可立即派遣搜救隊,在震後最初的關鍵時段協助搜尋遇難者。臺灣在 2010 年地震後向海地派遣了這樣的團隊,並且在世界其他地方發生地震後也這樣做了。海地當前的政治不穩定和新冠疫情,並不是避免向海地提供此類援助的藉口。

二、臺灣可以主動提供海地維和/安全援助,無論是警方還是軍方。臺灣的警察和軍隊都迫切需要在內亂中運作的經驗。如果海地接受這樣的提議,也可能是臺灣警察或軍隊在危險情況下與其他國家的安全部隊部署的機會,併爲未來的此類合作提供模式。

筆者此前也曾在媒體採訪中表示,臺灣可以主動向與中華民國保持外交關係的瓜地馬拉和宏都拉斯等「北三角」國家提供此類援助,這些國家與海地一樣,公共安全都很差。如果臺灣能在公共安全方面幫助這些國家,以減少試圖非法進入美國的人員流動,美國當然會感激不盡。

三、臺灣可以向海地提供大量疫苗,以及處理疫苗的醫務人員。臺灣政府開始接受來自美國、日本、立陶宛、捷克等國的各種數量的疫苗捐贈,在臺灣引起很大爭議。一些人指責政府在向生產商購買疫苗時處理不當,成爲「疫苗乞丐」。

臺灣目前每天只有少量新的確診病例。臺灣應該停止接受立陶宛和捷克等國家的少量疫苗捐贈,這是低效的,讓富裕的臺灣看起來很貪婪。相反地,臺灣可以要求美日等國家以臺灣的名義捐贈疫苗。

四、承諾臺灣援助的透明度。與臺灣受援國的情況一樣,臺灣向摩伊士政府捐贈的援助變成了什麼,存在合理的懷疑。臺灣向海地提供抗震救災或其他用途的任何援助,都應以臺灣不會讓海地政客竊取援助爲基礎,並且臺灣今後將以中文、英文和法文公開透明信息,說明所有這些捐贈給海地的資金如何運用。

五、對海地民主和人權的承諾至爲重要。臺灣外交部在宣傳美國或其他國家對臺灣有利的作爲時,經常提到「共同價值觀」和「民主」。但臺灣需要言行一致,不幸的是,在與中華民國保持正式外交關係的國家中,情況往往並非如此。臺灣要繼續向海地提供援助,也必須以海地臨時政府和未來政府堅持適當的民主和人權標準爲基礎。否則,臺灣的外交政策可能會被指責虛僞。

Haiti - Taiwan Relations Following the August 14 Earthquake

By Ross Darrell Feingold

The tragedy unfolding in Haiti following the earthquake on August 14 is the second major event in Haiti that exacerbates its challenges following the assassination of the pro-Taiwan President Jovenel Moïse on July 7. As one of the few remaining countries to maintains formal diplomatic relations with the Republic of China Taiwan has an opportunity to rise to the occasion to help Haiti in its time of need and demonstrate to the international community that Taiwan can do more than offer cash or hashtags such as #TaiwanCanHelp. The donation of USD500000 announced on August 15 is a start but Taiwan can do more.

1. Taiwan can immediately dispatch search and rescue teams to assist in the search for victims during these first critical hours following the earthquake. Taiwan sent such teams to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake and has done so following earthquakes in other locations around the world. The current political instability in Haiti and COVID-19 are not valid excuses to avoid providing such assistance to Haiti.

2. Taiwan can offer to provide Haiti peacekeeping / security assistance whether from Taiwan’s police or military. Both Taiwan’s police and military are in desperate need of experience operating amid civil unrest. If Haiti accepts such an offer it might also be an opportunity for Taiwan’s police or military to deploy in a dangerous situation with other country’s security forces and provide a model for future such cooperation. This author has also previously stated in media interviews that Taiwan can offer to provide such assistance to the “Northern Triangle” countries of Guatemala and Honduras which still maintain diplomatic relations with the Republic of China who similar to Haiti suffer both from poor public safety. The United States would certainly be grateful if Taiwan could help such countries with public safety so as to reduce the flow of persons who try to illegal enter the United States.

3. Taiwan can offer Haiti a substantial quantity of COVID-19 vaccines along with medical personnel to administer the vaccines. There was much controversy in Taiwan when the government began to accept vaccine donations in various quantities from the United States Japan Lithuania and Slovakia. Some accused the government due to its mishandling of the purchase of vaccines from the manufacturers of becoming a “vaccine beggar”. Taiwan currently has only a small number of new COVID-19 cases each day. Taiwan should stop accepting small quantities of vaccine donations from countries like Lithuania and Slovakia which is inefficient and makes wealthy Taiwan look greedy. Instead Taiwan can ask such countries to donate vaccines in the name of Taiwan and the donor country.

4. Pledge transparency in Taiwan aid. As is sometimes the case in Taiwan aid recipients there are valid questions about what became of aid Taiwan donated to Moïse’s government. Any aid that Taiwan provides to Haiti for earthquake relief or other purposes should be on the basis that Taiwan will not allow Haiti’s politicians to steal the aid and that going forward Taiwan will publish transparent information in Mandarin English and French about the use of all funds donated to Haiti.

5. A commitment to democracy and human rights in Haiti is paramount. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs often refers “shared values” and “democracy” when promoting gestures made by the United States or other countries that are favorable for Taiwan. But Taiwan needs to practice what it preaches and unfortunately this is often not the case in countries that maintain formal diplomatic relations with the Republic of China. If Taiwan is going to continue to provide aid to Haiti it also must be on the basis that Haiti’s interim and future government will adhere to appropriate standards for democracy and human rights. Otherwise Taiwan might be accused of hypocrisy in its foreign policy.

※以上言論不代表旺中媒體集團立場※