Taiwan has fought many battles in its bid for international recognition and it is indebted to the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA,
Established in 1982 in Los Angeles, FAPA is a global, Washington headquartered, non-profit organization.
Its goals include the promotion of peace and security for Taiwan, the promotion of international support for Taiwan to establish an independent and democratic country, and the promotion of Taiwan as a participant in the international community.
The organization was formed when Taiwan began to struggle for international recognition.
To help Taiwan through its diplomatic predicaments, a group of elite overseas Taiwanese in the US formed the organization and initiated "grassroots diplomacy."
Two major incidents led to the establishment of the organization.
In 1979, a state crackdown followed an anti-government parade organized by Formosa magazine in Kaohsiung. The ruling KMT jailed eight people for their involvement in what later became known as the Kaohsiung Incident (
On the diplomatic front, the US government lifted the 20,000 annual quota of Taiwan immigrants after it switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China in 1978.
The organization targets US policy makers, media scholars and the general public and provides them with information related to Taiwan. It also educates members of the US Congress on Taiwanese issues.
Trong Chai (蔡同榮), the first FAPA chairman and incumbent DPP lawmaker, said that over the years FAPA has grown from an unknown organization to a renowned lobbying body consisting of 48 US chapters.
"During the KMT era, FAPA played a significant role in helping the government solve many diplomatic problems. I expect to see more diplomatic breakthroughs take place now the DPP has come to power," he said.
Since the establishment of the association in 1982, Taiwan's political climate has experienced unprecedented transformation.
In 1986, the DPP was legalized to become the nation's first local opposition party. In 1987, martial law was lifted and bans on newspapers and political parties were removed.
However, political liberation did not bring genuine freedom and democracy to the nation.
In an open letter by then-chairman John Chen (陳榮儒) on FAPA's 10th anniversary, Chen called on association members to continue pushing for the passage of three resolutions in the US Congress.
Congressional resolution No. 248 requested that Taiwanese authorities permit the return of all citizens of Taiwan who were put on the political "black list."
Resolution No. 210 urged the US government to support Taiwan's bid to join the UN.
The third resolution, No. 193, called on the Taiwan government to hold a plebiscite and let the people of Taiwan decide their own future.
In short, the major tasks of FAPA for the first 10 years were to improve Taiwan's human rights and help build a genuine democracy.
For the next 10 years, FAPA was dedicated to the promotion of arm sales to Taiwan and safeguarding Taiwan's security.
Among the many achievements during this period was the passage of the Birthplace Amendment for Taiwanese Americans in 1994.
The amendment allows Taiwanese Americans to have the name of their birthplace marked on their passports.
In addition, a Congressional resolution was passed in 1996, stating that "the United States military forces should defend Taiwan in the event of invasion, missile attack, or blockade by the People's Republic of China."
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