Dozens of Taiwanese-American organizations, spearheaded by the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA), have publicly urged US President George W. Bush and his administration to support Taiwan's entry into the UN and other international organizations in a half-page ad scheduled to appear in the Washington Post today.
Quoting Bush's pro-democracy proclamation in his State of the Union Address last month in which he pledged to "trust the people" to choose freedom, the 67 organizations urged him to "trust the people of Taiwan to choose a future of `freedom and peace' by supporting Taiwan's upcoming democratic referendum" to enter the UN under the name of "Taiwan."
Noting that the Bush administration has repeatedly voiced opposition to the referendum, newly elected FAPA president Bob Yang (
Urging Washington to support the planned polls, Yang added: "If, for whatever reason, they are unable to support it, we ask that they at least keep quiet and let Taiwan's democratic process run its course."
Because of Chinese pressure, according to the ad, "Taiwan has become an international orphan," but Taiwanese "have a dream that someday soon their free and democratic country will be accepted as [a] full an equal member of the international community."
"As leaders of the Taiwanese-American organizations, we ask the United States administration and Congress to stand up for the principles of human rights and self-determination" by supporting full Taiwan membership in the UN, WHO and other bodies.
"There can be no double standard when it comes to supporting democracy," the ad states.
Other groups supporting the ad include the Taiwanese Association of America and its chapters, the World Taiwanese Congress, World United Formosans for Independence, the UN for Taiwan Alliance, the North American Taiwanese Medical Association and its chapters, the Taiwanese Hakka Association of the World, the Friends of Taiwan and the North American Taiwanese Women's Association.
The ad appears in the Sunday "Outlook" section, which FAPA called "the must-read section for political pundits and for readers interested in foreign policy."
"The ad expresses the sentiment of a vast roster of Taiwanese American organizations that strongly support the democratic referendum plans," FAPA said.
"Deeply disturbed by the fact that over the last few months of 2007, several high officials of the Bush administration made statements in which they express opposition to Taiwan's planned referendum, calling it 'provocative' and `a mistake,' the organizations felt that [the] time for action is now," it said.
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