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Marchers hope that 9th time's a charm

Thousands of pro-independence supporters joined a march on Yangmingshan yesterday to urge the government to change its approach to entering the UN. PHOTO: LU CHUN-WEI, TAIPEI TIMES

Thousands of pro-independence politicians and supporters joined a march yesterday on Yangmingshan to express their wish that the government use a name other than the Republic of China in its bid to rejoin the UN.

Under the banner "Taiwan Stands Up," thousands gathered at the visitors center of Yangmingshan National Park at 10am to march.

With the year-end elections just around the corner, politicians and candidates of the Taiwan Solidarity Union, DPP and Taiwan Independence Party (TAIP) all showed up to solicit support for the upcoming polls.

"We planned to have this activity today because the San Francisco Treaty was signed exactly 50 years ago on this day," said Wu Shu-ming (吳樹民), who organized the march and was once the president of The Independence Evening Post.

The San Francisco Treaty is the document in which, among other concessions, Japan renounced its sovereignty over Taiwan.

"We have used `Republic of China' or `Republic of China on Taiwan' in attempting to return to the UN eight times. This year will be our ninth. However, I don't see that there is any possibility of success if we don't try it using a name other than `Republic of China,'" Wu said.

"We've been promoting this idea [of entering the UN as `Taiwan'] for years. ... We even sent 500 flags to the UN."

Wu Shu-ming, organizer of yesterday's march

The Republic of China lost its seat in the UN in 1971 and was replaced by the People's Republic of China.

The Taiwan Independence Party promoted their platform at yesterday's event by setting up a booth on the grounds and encouraging the crowd to obtain a "Republic of Taiwan" passport.

"The international community only recognizes this country as Taiwan. You will only find goods marked `Made in Taiwan,' never `Made in ROC.' We must learn to first adopt our motherland before other people will respect us," said Stephen Lee (李勝雄), the event's deputy convener. "One seat cannot fit two people at a time."

The goal of yesterday's event was to win over those people who are pro-unification but consider themselves Chinese to support efforts to enter the UN under the name "Taiwan" instead of "Republic of China."

Some 20 supporters were chosen at the event to join a delegation that will deliver the event's message to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) on Sept. 11.

"Many urbanites don't realize that the voice [for independence] is so strong in the countryside," said TAIP Chairman Boonky Ho (何文杞).

"We've been promoting this idea [of entering the UN as `Taiwan'] for years. On Sept. 5, we even sent 500 flags to the UN headquarters in New York City to show our determination ... they were all accepted."

Organizers of the event told the crowd that entering the UN under the name "Republic of Taiwan" is the ultimate goal, but that there is still a long way to go. Learning how to first stand up for Taiwan, they said, should be the priority for everybody living here.
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