Commentators back referendum: Referendum: a precious, if unusual, human right

PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES

The referendum is an opportunity for the Taiwanese people to exercise their basic human right of self-government, said presidential advisor Chen Lung-chu (陳隆志) yesterday.

"The referendum is a part of plebiscite law and a form of direct democracy," Chen said at yesterday's symposium.

"The UN charter itself emphasizes the right to self-determination and that the right to rule comes from the people," he said.

"Through the referendum vote, the Taiwanese people are seeking freedom from fear, which is a human right taken for granted by people all across the globe", said Chen, who is also the president of the New Century Institute.

He added that the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) opposition to the referendum was an attempt to curtail human rights. Chen expressed concern for the future should the pro-blue camp win the election.

The reaction of international representatives to Chen's position was mixed. On Chen's remarks about the referendum being a natural exercise of human rights, Eric Hyer, an associate professor at Brigham Young University in Utah, noted that while in theory a people should have the right to referendum and self-determination, in practice this was not often the case.

Speakers at the conference held at the Taipei Westin Hotel yesterday. PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES

"Just take the example of the South during the Civil War in the United States. The Union didn't acknowledge the South's wish to separate in that case," said Hyer.

"However, I think that most people in the US would support the Taiwanese right to the referendum and independence. The executive, on the other hand, has to consider international implications," he said.

"Through the referendum vote, the Taiwanese people are seeking freedom from fear, which is a human right taken for granted by people all across the globe."

Chen Lung-chu, policy advisor to President Chen Shui-bian

On KMT opposition to the referendum, Bruno Kaufmann, president of the Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe, agreed with Chen that KMT actions could be seen as a curtailment of human rights. "Their motivation is clear," said Kaufmann.

Kaufmann said the format of the referendum would invade the right to privacy of the voters.

"With the current agreement where voters need to line up separately to vote in the referendum, voters will be forced to reveal whether they support the referendum or not to others at the voting stations. This is a procedural problem that needs to be addressed," he said.

When asked what would happen should the referendum fail, Kaufmann said: "If the referendum fails and the KMT wins the election, then we can expect that future moves for referendums will be hindered," he said.