President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) on Tuesday sent a message to a "Health and Human Rights" seminar held at the British House of Commons, urging the world to support Taiwan's bid to participate in the WHO.
The message was read by former minister of health Lee Ming-liang (
The seminar was jointly chaired by Reverend Martin Smyth, a member of the parliament, and Terence Duffy, an organizer of the seminar from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. More than 10 representatives from the UN, the Red Cross, Physicians for Human Rights and other non-governmental organizations took part in the seminar.
Chen said in his message that Taiwan stands ready to play its part in the international community, with the nation's medical and scientific community representing a generation that has witnessed great strides in the way of economic development, political reform and public health.
He pointed out that Taiwan has achieved an "economic miracle" by raising its annual per capita GNP from less than US$200 in the 1950s to more than US$14,000 by 2000 and that its mortality rate has declined dramatically. However, Taiwan has continued to be excluded from the WHO, he said.
"As we strive to take our rightful place in these forums, we look to friends around the world -- including the British Parliament -- for support in accomplishing this mission," he said.
In his own presentation to the seminar, Lee noted that for 30 years, Taiwanese health officials have been barred from attending the WHO.
Lee noted that during the 1988 enterovirus outbreaks, the WHO did not provide timely assistance and as a result Taiwan missed the most opportune moment to control the epidemic and 78 children died.
He also highlighted the fact that Taiwanese medical teams were not allowed to help in the rescue work following the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey Aug. 17, 1999 and Red Cross teams were unable to come help Taiwan following the 921 quake in 1999.
Lee warned that by excluding Taiwan, the WHO has created a large gap in its worldwide disease prevention network, stressing that this is not only a loss but also a threat to the world.
Taiwan's representative to the UK, Tien Hung-mao (
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique