Taiwan is a sovereign state and fully qualifies for a seat in the UN, a group of lobbyists said in Taipei yesterday before leaving for New York to launch their annual campaign to promote the nation’s UN bid.
Led by Democratic Progressive Party legislators Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲) and Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮), the 26-member delegation is expected to arrive at UN headquarters in Manhattan tomorrow.
The 63rd session of the UN General Assembly will open on Tuesday.
The group slammed President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for downgrading Taiwan’s status and giving in to China’s demands after taking office in May.
Instead of bidding for full membership in the global body like the nation has in the past, the Ma administration said this year Taiwan is only seeking “meaningful participation” in activities under UN specialized agencies.
‘DIPLOMATIC TRUCE’
Chai also lambasted Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊) for saying on Thursday that the “diplomatic truce” Taipei has initiated with Beijing “has done no harm to Taiwan.”
“How can he say such a thing when great harm has been done? To avoid angering Beijing, Taiwan has dropped its request for full representation in the UN,” Chai said.
He said that without UN membership, it would be impossible for the nation to participate in any UN agency activity.
Yen Chiang-lung (顏江龍), a member of the group, said China was the only obstacle to Taiwan gaining UN representation.
CHINA FACTOR
“Once the China factor is removed, Taiwan would be in the UN right away. The opinion of all other nations [on the issue] has little significance. It’s just China,” Yen said.
A pan-blue supporter mocked the group’s efforts, saying the lobby was just an excuse for a tour to the US East Coast.
“The lawmakers are just staging a show to prop up their popularity,” the man said, but declined to give his name.
“If they really wanted to do something for Taiwan, they would stop creating factions within society,” he said.
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
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
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
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