The "UN for Taiwan" march on Sept. 15 was very moving. It gave people courage and determination, filling us with confidence and hope for Taiwan's future.
In July, our government submitted its official membership application to the UN, and this application was significant. Although there have been various obstacles, as we expected, there have been six concrete accomplishments in only two months.
First, our government has declared to the international community that Taiwan is an independent and sovereign state and a democratic, free and peace-loving country. The current political status quo is that there is one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan and the People's Republic of China (PRC) are two different countries, and the PRC does not represent Taiwan and its people.
Second, it shows that Taiwan's attempt to become a member of the UN is not only the basic human right of its 23 million people, but also their strongest wish, and it should not be suppressed, taken away or limited. We 23 million Taiwanese must strive for the international dignity and equality that we deserve. We want to actively participate in the UN and its related organizations. We also want to enjoy the same rights as every other country in the global village and contribute to the international community through our best efforts and fulfill our duties.
Third, it shows that the Taiwan issue is an international one, and not an internal affair of China. Our government's active UN bid under the name Taiwan has triggered and invoked much international concern, support, controversy, criticism and tension, repeatedly proving that the issue is international. The more China oppresses the Taiwanese government and its people the more it highlights the fact that the issue is a shared concern in the international community.
Fourth, it has broken the fetters of the US "one China" policy, as Taiwan is no longer a pawn in its power politics.
Fifth, it demonstrates that Taiwan must not fantasize about winning independence without making an effort.
Sixth, the impact and encouragement of the UN bid has served to strongly promote national awareness and unity in Taiwan. Clearly, Taiwan has transformed from a militarily occupied territory into a country. Even so, to this day some people still claim that it is not a country. They claim that the Republic of China (ROC) is a country, disregarding disagreement from Beijing and Washington. Whether Taiwan is truly a country or not has to be proven by the will and strength of the Taiwanese ourselves. The ambiguity of Taiwan's national status must end. The only practical solution is that Taiwan become a normal country.
Sovereignty is very similar to a person's ownership of a house. What do we do when someone wants to take over our house? Should we give up or try everything we can to safeguard it?
This is the predicament that Taiwan is facing in the international community. For ourselves, our children and grandchildren, we have to bravely gather all our strength and stand firm in our position, invoking our right to protect our country. We have to speak up again and again to let the international community know that Taiwan belongs to the Taiwanese.
In making ourselves heard, we cannot only rely on opinion polls. We should also use a referendum to bring the voices of 23 million Taiwanese together in the most democratic of ways. There is strength in numbers, and the larger the number of votes in favor of entering the UN, the firmer the will of the Taiwanese public to establish their own independent country, and the more convincing the demand becomes.
RSS