美國將於12月9日 舉行首屆全球「民主峰會」（Summits for Democracy）視訊會議，邀請110個國家及地區的政府、民間團體與私營部門領袖出席，討論「對抗威權」、「打擊貪腐」、「促進對人權尊重」等三大議題；我國正式獲邀，將派政務委員唐鳳與駐美代表蕭美琴與會。
The United States will hold the first of its two global "Summits for Democracy" on December 9 and 10, inviting government, civil society, and private sector leaders from 110 countries and regions to discuss such topics as "fighting against authoritarianism," "combating corruption," and "promoting respect for Human Rights." My country was officially invited and will delegate Tang Feng (Minister of State) and Hsiao Bi-khim (representative to the United States) to attend the meeting.
我樂見美方這樣的安排，但也有不少憂慮，因為這幾年民進黨政府的表現，不但離「民主」越來越遠，反而趨近「不自由的民主」（illiberal democracy）。
I am glad to see such an arrangement by the United States, but I also have many concerns, because in recent years the DPP government has abandoned "democracy" in favor of "illiberal democracy."
「不自由的民主」一詞是印度裔美國名學者法瑞．扎卡利亞（Fareed Zakaria）所創。他指出，從20世紀開始，全世界已有上百個國家的人民定期選舉國家領導人，被視為「民主國家」。但其中有些國家的總統上任後，開始採行背離自由民主的政策或措施，例如修憲延長自己任期、非法限制人民自由、非法打擊反對黨或政治對手，他把這種國家的體制稱作「不自由的民主」或「民選的專制」（elected autocracy）。
The term "illiberal democracy" was coined by Fareed Zakaria, a famous Indian-American scholar. He pointed out that since the beginning of the 20th century, hundreds of countries have regularly elected national leaders and are regarded as "democratic countries." However, after the presidents of some of these countries took office, they began to adopt policies or measures that departed from freedom and democracy. Anti-democratic actions that they've taken include amending the constitution to extend their terms, illegally restricting people's freedoms, and unlawfully cracking down on opposition parties or political opponents. He called these countries "illiberal democracies" or "elected autocracies."
蔡英文總統2016年就任後，諸多違反「法治國」原則的作為，例如成立明顯違憲的不當黨產委員會、促進轉型正義委員會清算最大反對黨（國民黨），賦予行政機關過多權力，侵害人民權益，對臺灣民主傷害甚鉅、危害深遠。包括：
After President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016, many of her actions have violated the principle of "rule of law." For example, she has set up a clearly unconstitutional Ill-Gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee, and her Transitional Justice Commission is being used as a club to attack the biggest opposition party (the Kuomintang). She has granted too many powers to the executive branch, suppressed the rights of the people, and harmed Taiwan's democracy profoundly. Such actions include the following:
- 2018年1月5日，臺大教授管中閔高票當選臺大校長，但教育部無視其合法性，違反《大學法》，否絕其當選資格。1年多後，才讓管教授順利上任。
On January 5, 2018, Professor Kuan Chung-ming was elected as the President of National Taiwan University, but the Ministry of Education ignored the legitimacy of the election and violated the "University Act" by denying his eligibility. It took more than a year for Professor Kuan to finally be appointed.
- 2018年9月12日，促轉會副主委張天欽被媒體爆料以「東廠」自居，將「轉型正義」當成選舉操作的工具，意圖打擊國民黨新北市長候選人侯友宜。
On September 12, 2018, media reports revealed that Chang Tien-chin, the deputy chairman of the Transitional Justice Commission regarded the Commission as a sort of "Dong Chang (a secret police agency in ancient China)" and used "transitional justice" as a tool to attack Hou Yu-ih, the KMT candidate for mayor of New Taipei City.
- 2019年6月17日，蔡總統立法院民進黨團修改《公民投票法》，沒收「公民投票綁大選」制度，強制規定每2年、在第2年8月最後一個星期六舉行一次公投，嚴格限制人民行使公投的權利。
On June 17, 2019, the DDP caucus in the Legislative Yuan amended the "Referendum Act" at President Tsai’s request to do away with the previous practice of holding referendums on the same days as general elections. The amended act mandated that referendums would instead be held on the fourth Saturday of August every two years. It is perfectly obvious that this change will reduce voter participation in referendums.
- 2019年12月19日，臺大政治系教授蘇宏達批評政府文化政策，遭臺北市警察以違反《社會秩序維護法》約談，到派出所訊問數小時。
On December 19, 2019, Su Hung-dah, a Professor in the Department of Political Science at National Taiwan University, criticized the government's cultural policy. The Taipei City Police Department then called him in for questioning regarding a possible violation of the "Social Order Maintenance Act." He was interrogated for several hours at a police station.
- 2020年8月28日，蔡總統未經行政院與立法院討論，逕自在總統府宣布開放爭議極大的美國萊豬（含內臟）進口。
On August 28, 2020, President Tsai, acting without discussion with the Executive Yuan or the Legislative Yuan, unilaterally announced a decision to allow the import of highly controversial American ractopamine pork (including offal).
- 2020年12月11日，蔡總統關閉中天電視新聞臺，是臺灣電視新聞臺有史以來第一次被政府停播。
On December 11, 2020, President Tsai shut down CTi News, which was the first time that a Taiwanese TV news station had ever been shut down by the government in history.
- 2021年3月28日，蔡總統無視2018年「以核養綠」公投結果，執意將核四廠燃料棒送出國。
On March 28, 2021, President Tsai ignored the results of the 2018 referendum in which the people of Taiwan voted to retain nuclear power. She insisted on taking the fuel rods of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant and sending them abroad.
- 2021年11月16日，蔡總統以指定直轄市民進黨市長候選人的方式，實質廢止民進黨創黨數十年的公職候選人黨內初選提名制度。
On November 16, 2021, President Tsai personally designated the DDP mayoral candidates, thereby essentially abolishing a nomination system in the DDP that had been in existence for decades.
- 2021年11月，媒體披露民進黨女立委遭男友施暴，意外讓民進黨「網軍」結構曝光。這些疑似有特定單位資源挹注的網軍，猶如「錦衣衛」或「秘密警察」，長期在網路上霸凌與政府意見不同的聲音，甚至逼死一位優秀的臺灣外交官。
In November 2021, the media disclosed that a female DPP legislator was violently abused by her boyfriend. The report resulted in the exposure of the DPP's "cyber army" system. These cyber armies, which are suspected of receiving support from a questionable source, are like "online brownshirts" who have long bullied anyone that disagrees with the government on the Internet. In fact, they have even hounded an outstanding Taiwanese diplomat stationed in Japan to death.
這些不符民主憲政的行動，已明顯構成「不自由的民主」或「民選的專制」。蔡總統經常自詡臺灣的民主價值如何寶貴，卻親手破壞這些民主價值。
These actions are inconsistent with democratic constitutionalism. Indeed, they are the very definition of "illiberal democracy" or "elected autocracy." Although President Tsai often boasts of the preciousness of Taiwan's democratic values, she has personally destroyed them.
佛教授史帝文．李維茲基（Steven Levitsky）與丹尼爾．齊布拉特（Daniel Ziblatt）在2018年暢銷書《民主如何死亡》（How Democracies Die）中指出，多數民主制度的死亡不是經過一次政變，而是逐步倒退，滑向威權主義。
In their 2018 best-selling book "How Democracies Die," Harvard Professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt point out that the death of most democratic systems happens through a gradual degeneration and a slow slide into authoritarianism, not through a one-time coup.
希望蔡總統和民進黨能以國家人民為念，懸崖勒馬，回歸真正的自由民主，臺灣參加「民主峰會」，才能名符其實。
I hope that President Tsai and the DDP can keep the people of the country in their minds, rein themselves in at the brink of the precipice, and return to true freedom and democracy. Only by doing so can Taiwan be a worthy participant in this "Summit for Democracy."