Saying the ROC flag and the national anthem are illegal, leaders of pro-independence groups yesterday called for a referendum on a new flag, anthem and official name for the nation.
"Our national flag and national anthem are the KMT's party flag and anthem. They are not our national flag and anthem. The Republic of China is not Taiwan, either," said Peter Wang (
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
Wang made the remarks at a press conference held to support Secretary-General to the President Chen Shih-meng (
Chen's remarks have sparked criticism from the blue camp.
KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) said Chen's remarks show the DPP administration's ignorance and asked President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to replace Chen Shih-meng.
"In 1913, the nationalist government's senate in Nanjing voted for a five-color flag as the national flag of the Republic of China. The five colors are red, yellow, blue, white and black," said Shew Down-kwen (
According to Shew, the five colors represent the five major ethnic groups in China, adding that the five-color flag was the official flag of the ROC.
"However, the KMT decided to replace the five-color flag with its own party flag in 1924. The party flag is now our national flag," Shew said. "Therefore, our present national flag is not a legal one."
Shew also denounced KMT Legislator Hung Chiu-chu (
"The lawmaker seemed to defend the dignity of the national flag, which symbolizes the country. But she never showed any respect for the president, who also symbolizes the nation," Shew said.
At the press conference, World Taiwanese Congress Secretary-General Lin Yu-shin (林又新) claimed to represent overseas Taiwanese in backing Chen Shih-meng's remarks.
"I don't think there is anything wrong with Chen Shih-meng's remarks. Besides, the national flag only caused fear in the hearts of those who were exiled during the era of White Terror," Lin said.
"The name `Chinese Taipei' for Taiwan goes absolutely nowhere in the international arena. Why not simply call Taiwan `Taiwan?'" Lin said.
Hsiao Kuan-yu (
"When the ROC was established in 1912, Taiwan was under Japan's colonization. The ROC at that time did not have any power over Taiwan," Hsiao said.
"The nationalist government retreated to Taiwan after losing the mainland to the communists. Chiang Kai-shek (
Hsiao urged the government to hold a referendum to let the people decide on a new name, national flag and national anthem.
A group of Taiwanese-American and Tibetan-American students at Harvard University on Saturday disrupted Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng’s (謝鋒) speech at the school, accusing him of being responsible for numerous human rights violations. Four students — two Taiwanese Americans and two from Tibet — held up banners inside a conference hall where Xie was delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of the Harvard Kennedy School China Conference 2024. In a video clip provided by the Coalition of Students Resisting the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), Taiwanese-American Cosette Wu (吳亭樺) and Tibetan-American Tsering Yangchen are seen holding banners that together read:
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