New group forms to promote peace across the Strait

Fifty-three prominent figures from religious, cultural, business, academic and political circles have formed a foundation to promote the peaceful resolution of the cross-strait dispute with China.

The head of the new organization, Peacetime Foundation of Taiwan (台灣促進和平文教基金會), urged China to be more patient in handling cross-strait issues.

"Beijing should adopt the attitude of `No haste, be patient' (戒急用忍) to improve the cross-strait relationship," said Hsiao Hsin-huang (蕭新煌) one of the prime movers behind the the founding of the group. Hsiao is a sociology professor at Academia Sinica who is currently serving as the spokesman for Taiwan's inter-party task force on cross-strait relations.

"China should concentrate on its domestic affairs and economic development first. Why does Beijing seek to solve such an insurmountable problem so quickly? Maintaining peace should be our first priority," Hsiao said.

An official ceremony to celebrate the establishment of the foundation will be held tomorrow.

Premier Tang Fei (唐飛) will give a speech at the founding ceremony as will the president of the Taipei Association, Chiu Hei-yuan (瞿海源), and former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄).

The foundation claims it is the first Taiwanese non-governmental organization whose sole purpose is the promotion of peace.

"Taiwanese can take part in promoting world peace and spreading the peaceful spirit of Taiwanese to all corners of the world," said Chien Chi-chong (簡志忠), another founder of the organization. Chien is president of the Eurasian Publishing Group.

"We certainly don't want to see a destructive war but we also reject the type of pseudo-peace that is maintained by forceful coercion," the foundation said in a statement.

"In addressing the cross-strait dispute, the foundation represents voices from Taiwan's civil society, which is above the dispute over unification and independence and seeks to solve the problem of cross-strait hostility."

Hsiao said the foundation would do anything it could to help promote a peaceful solution to the cross-strait dispute.

"We don't rule out any constructive method to establish cross-strait peace. The current situation gives us no cause for optimism, but we have no room to be pessimistic either. We have no choice but to think like this. We are willing to express the goodwill of Taiwanese by any means feasible."