Legacy issues within KMT versus contemporary migrant labor concerns
Thai Villages Harboring Descendants of Chinese Nationalist Party Armies Feel Caught in a Political Storm
By David Frazier (Contributing reporter)
In the heart of Taipei, Taiwan's capital city, sits the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC). Established in 1926, the OCAC functions as the primary liaison between Taiwan's government and the 108 Yunnan villages in Thailand, home to approximately 200,000 individuals of Chinese descent. These villages, originally inhabited by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) soldiers stranded in Thailand following the Chinese Civil War, have found themselves in a political maelstrom between Taiwan, China, and the ruling political factions in both countries.
For nearly a century, the OCAC has supported these communities with investments in education, culture, and economic development. However, Taiwan's shifting political landscape has led to the agency's changing mandate, shown by the repeated changes to its English acronym from "Chinese" to "Compatriot" and back again. The current name maintains the "C" but stands for "Community" instead.
When Taiwan's government switched from the KMT to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2000, the DPP changed the OCAC's initial "C" to Compatriot, signifying their push for a more inclusively defined 'Chinese' identity. The KMT reverted the name back to Chinese in 2012, before eventually settling on Community.
Due to Taiwan's power shift and China's boatloads of funding for overseas Chinese communities, at least 44 of Thailand's Yunnanese schools have broken ties with Taiwan and aligned with China instead.
For the schools, this has become an either/or decision. Taiwan's stance is clear: schools that support the Republic of China and genuinely cherish Taiwan, are the ones they will serve. The OCAC currently supports 99 schools in Yunnan villages, spending approximately NT$10 to NT$20 million (US$300,000 to US$600,000) annually on scholarship programs, textbooks, and teacher training.
However, if schools in Thailand make statements downgrading Taiwan or claim Taiwan to be a part of China, they will lose the support of the OCAC. Schools backing China are likely benefitting from its heavy-handed foreign policy tactics, which includes lavish funding for educational institutions and scholarships.
One charitable organization, the Chinese Association for Relief and Ensuing Services (CARES), was established in 2023 by Madame Chiang Kai-shek and has formerly provided scholarships to these villages. However, its future is uncertain following an issue in 2023 that labeled CARES as a 'KMT affiliate organization', leading to a loss of around NT$1.3 billion (US$40 million) in real estate assets and a 90% decline in revenue.
As a result, the future of scholarships and continued educational support for Yunnanese students remains uncertain. Many of these students have reported facing difficult circumstances in Taiwan, including being treated as migrant laborers in a system that some describe as borderline human trafficking.
The situation poses a stark contrast to China's generous scholarships, which offer tuition, room and board, and stipends while forbidding students from taking up employment. Taiwan's evolving work-study programs present a conundrum for parents in Arunothai, the largest Yunnan village in Thailand, as they weigh their options between sending their children to Taiwan or China.
Meanwhile, private philanthropists have stepped up to fill the gap left by the government, building new campuses like the grandiose Qing Dynasty imperial halls in Arunothai. These newly established facilities embody the ongoing commitment of private donors to maintain cultural heritage and education in the Yunnanese communities, positioning them as a potential lifeline for Taiwan's diplomatic relations with these villages in the years to come.
The political shift in Taiwan, from the KMT to the Democratic Progressive Party in 2000, has significantly impacted the education and self-development of the 108 Yunnan villages in Thailand, as the new government changed the name of the OCAC, leading to altered mandates and funding for these communities. Additionally, the general news reveals that these villages, often caught in the crossfire of Taiwan, China, and their respective political factions, face a challenging decision when it comes to their education, as aligning with one country may mean losing support from the other, thereby affecting their self-development and future prospects.
