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Lu keeps going despite injuries
RESOLVE:
The VP vowed to stick to her itinerary despite medical warnings that her busy schedule had aggravated trauma resulting from the attempt on her life
STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA
Saturday, Jun 05, 2004, Page 4
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Vice President Annette Lu, with her arm in a sling, yesterday agreed to use a walking stick to prevent worsening her injuries during her visit to Costa Rica.
PHOTO: CNA
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After briefly checking into a hospital in San Jose yesterday due to pain in her limbs, Vice President Annette Lu (§f¨q½¬) insisted that the itinerary of her official visit to Costa Rica will not be affected.
Lu arrived in Costa Rica on Wednesday after a three-day official visit to neighboring El Salvador, where she attended the inauguration of new Salvadoran President Elias Antonio Saca on behalf of President Chen Shui-bian (³¯¤ô«ó).
Her Taiwanese doctor, Chen Yao-chang (³¯Ä£©÷), said the vice president has been suffering from muscle strain in her left arm and a slight dislocation of her left thumb and elbow, in addition to the bullet wound in her left knee sustained in the March 19 assassination attempt on her and the president.
Chen Yao-chang said the injuries had been aggravated by the vice president's busy schedule over the past week in the US and Central America.
Lu refused to use a wheelchair or even a walking stick over the past several days to avoid creating a "negative image" for Taiwan.
Despite her protests, Chen Yao-chang put the vice president's arm in a sling on Wednesday and advised her to use a walking stick to prevent further aggravation of her injuries.
Following her original itinerary, Lu visited the Poas Volcano National Park in a suburb of San Jose on Thursday morning and attended a luncheon at the Hotel Fiesta hosted by Taiwan's ambassador to Costa Rica, Wu Tzu-dan (§d¤l¤¦).
On Wednesday, Lu received a human rights award from the University of Costa Rica in recognition of her contributions to promoting democracy and human rights over the past decades.
She met with Costa Rican President Abel Pacheco de la Espriella around noon on Wednesday. Pacheco expressed his gratitude for Taiwan's longstanding assistance to Costa Rica's national development. He assured Lu of his country's continued support for Taiwan, including its bid to join the UN and other major international organizations.
Later that day, Lu visited the Costa Rican National Assembly, where she attended a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Costa Rica. The two countries signed an amity agreement in 1944 on forging "lasting peace and friendship."
In response to questions from reporters about recent reports that Taiwan's monetary aid to Costa Rica had been used to pay the salaries of Costa Rican foreign ministry officials, Lu said monetary aid to Taiwan's diplomatic allies should continue despite these false allegations. She said extending monetary aid to diplomatic allies is part of national policy as one of the means of consolidating bilateral ties.
Meanwhile, Lu said, the Legislature has a duty to tighten its supervision of the country's diplomatic expenses.
She suggested that legislators pay more visits to the country's diplomatic allies to examine how and where the money has been used, instead of going to countries that maintain no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
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