Pro-independence groups yesterday renewed their call for a referendum to rename the national sports team from “Chinese Taipei” to “Taiwan” when participating in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
A coalition that includes the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), the Social Democratic Party, World United Formosans for Independence, some Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers and the Lee Teng-hui Association for Democracy urged the public to join the referendum initiative as part of a name rectification movement.
The nation’s athletes have participated in the Olympics under the names “Taiwan,” “Formosa” and “Republic of China (ROC),” but delegations also withdrew from some Games due to controversies over their titles until the term “Chinese Taipei” was adopted in 1981.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan is the only member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that is prohibited from using its name and national flag when participating in the Games, which is an insult to Taiwanese athletes, track and field Olympic medalist Chi Cheng (紀政) said.
Displaying the bronze medal she won at the 1968 Mexico Olympics, which the nation participated in under the name “Taiwan” after the IOC changed the name from “ROC” to avoid confusion with the Chinese delegation, Chi said the government was wrong when it decided not to participate under the name “Taiwan” in subsequent Games.
“The wrong decision has made us suffer this long and we are still fighting today to rectify Taiwan’s name,” she said.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan People News founder Chen Yung-hsing (陳永興) criticized the DPP administration, saying a referendum proposal would be unnecessary if the government took the initiative to rename the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC) as the “Taiwan Olympic Committee” and launch a renaming process with the IOC.
“The Taiwanese government is the one that has kept obstructing Taiwan. From [former president] Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) to the DPP, all of them have obstructed Taiwan,” Chen said.
New Power Party Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) said during last year’s revision of the National Sports Act (國民體育法), his party had proposed renaming the CTOC something more neutral — the “National Olympic Committee” — but was rebuffed.
This suggested that the DPP administration is imposing limitations or restrictions on itself, Lim said.
DPP Legislator Pasuya Yao (姚文智) said he felt “ashamed” as “external disruption and political realities have forced us [the DPP] to put aside our political ideals.”
Yao called on the public to join the referendum drive and then pass a plebiscite with a record-setting approval level.
The TSU has collected 3,400 signatures for the proposal since February last year to give to the Central Election Commission.
Campaigners hope a referendum could be held in conjunction with the nine-in-one local elections at the end of this year, TSU Chairman Liu Yi-te (劉一德) said.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist
RSS