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Letters: Nation normalization

The nation normalization resolution should not divide Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and DPP chairman Yu Shyi-kun. It should be the common goal of these two DPP heavyweights, the DPP as a whole, and all Taiwanese. Both Hsieh and Yu should calm down and compromise for the sake of the nation.

Nobody can deny that Taiwan is a nation that needs normalization. Many people say Taiwan is already an independent state in terms of sovereignty. Recently, Hsieh and President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) have said simply that Taiwan is an independent state. If so, why can't Taiwan join the UN as a member nation and why does Taiwan have only 24 formal allies?

On the other hand, many other people have been working hard for the independence of Taiwan. Are they trying to make Taiwan independent from the People's Republic of China (PRC), the US or Japan? In fact, this is all unnecessary since Taiwan is not a province of the PRC, a state of the US, or a prefecture of Japan anyway. Legally, Taiwan is independent from these three nations.

Taiwan can only declare independence from the Republic of China (ROC) and rectify its national name to Taiwan.

If the ROC does not agree, it can keep its original islands of Kinmen and Matsu as another nation.

This is an internal mission but cannot be accomplished realistically in seven months before the next presidential election. However, Hsieh can pledge this national normalization vision now and implement it after he is elected. As part of his campaign, Hsieh has to correct his previous statement about Kaohsiung and Xiamen belonging to the same country and to abandon his previous pledge of a "one-China constitution." To most voters, this pledge is not different from "ultimate unification" pledged by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). In addition Hsieh has to pledge to recover national assets stolen or sold by the KMT.

Charles Hong

Columbus, Ohio

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