A Taiwan-born novelist known by the pen name Roson, who “shot to fame for having mature content in his work,” eventually moved to China. This year, the Chinese government prosecuted him for “producing, selling or disseminating obscene articles for profit” and gave him a 12-year sentence.
Some in Taiwan have no sympathy for Roson (shown above), observes Roger Wu in commentary for Taipei Times (“Being pro-China will save no one,” December 18, 2023). The reason is the novelist’s pro-China sentiments and applauding of other unjust punishments.
Roson was never shy about showing his pro-China sentiments when he was in Taiwan. He used to make blatant remarks such as “if the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] comes, I surrender, period.”
When a 25-year-old Houston Rockets fan in China threatened to burn the Chinese flag in protest of a dispute between Beijing and the NBA team and was put behind bars hours later, Roston showed no sympathy for the fan and even said the penalty “serves him right.”
After news of Roson’s arrest went viral, most Taiwanese Internet users felt no pity for him, using his own words, “serves him right”….
According to Wu, the lesson of Roson’s fate is that bootlicking doesn’t work; it won’t cause the Chinese government to give you a break. In the presidential election of January 13, 2024, then, the Taiwanese should vote to protect their democracy, not to appease China.
“If they choose to cast their ballots for a pro-China party and hence push Taiwan toward becoming a territory controlled by China [like Hong Kong]…it is highly likely that everyone would become the next Roson.”
