During a meeting with President Chen Shui-bian (
We believe raising the issue at the ICJ would be a good approach because it would help the two sides of the Taiwan Strait avoid a war over the issue. Adopting means that are more humanitarian than military force is also in the spirit of modern civilization. Ever since ending the Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion in 1991, Taiwan has renounced all territorial ambitions toward China. The Chinese Civil War ended in 1949. After half a century, no one should be carrying on with that war in Taiwan, thereby harming innocent people. For this reason the government has repeatedly suggested that the two sides hold talks on the basis of equality in order to resolve Beijing's claim of sovereignty over Taiwan.
During the last few weeks, many people here have been watching the war between the US and Iraq. Seeing all this death and destruction, it is impossible not to be emotionally affected and not to feel disappointment over the stupidity of humans. Despite having already entered the 21st century, some people still choose to use prehistoric and savage methods of conflict resolution. The only obvious progress to be seen in the US-Iraq war is ever more precise and ever more powerful weapons for killing people. Such terrifying inventions and progress will only bring more human suffering and destruction. This is no cause for pride. Are there no other, more civilized, ways to deal with future international or domestic conflicts?
People around the world have seen that the International Court of Justice indeed is capable of providing assistance in this matter, by helping the international community settle disputes peacefully. The problem is the court has an unreasonable restriction. It doesn't accept cases from non-UN member states or organizations. This means that it is reduced to sitting idly by as bloody ethnic conflicts erupt around the world. This is a clear violation of the UN's founding principles to maintain international peace and human rights.
Let us examine some of the major international conflicts in recent years -- for example, the independence, autonomy or self-determination issues of the Palestinians, the Chechens, the Kurds in Iraq, the Tibetans and the Uighurs in China. These ethnic groups have no national status and have been frequently pressured and ostracized. When these peoples are further oppressed by their rulers, they can only defend themselves by resorting to force or racial vendettas, since they have no channel for appeals. As the vicious cycle continues, bloody conflicts will never end. Hence, the ICJ has to expand its function of handling international conflicts. Otherwise, racial and cultural conflicts will continue to break out in many more areas.
It is to be hoped that the ICJ will be able to expand its functions and handle the dispute between Taiwan and China. However, the people of Taiwan should also ask themselves if the court would be able to impartially intervene in the cross-strait dispute if the nation continues to call itself the Republic of China, which has long been replaced by the PRC, instead of requesting arbitration as a political entity and a under a country name that has nothing to do with the bitter legacy left by the war between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party?
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