The Alliance to Campaign for Rectifying the Name of Taiwan yesterday called for donations to support a Nov. 27 rally aimed at promoting the bid to change the country's name.
Appearing at a news conference yesterday with groups dedicated to promoting Taiwan's independence, Peter Wang (
Wang said that the 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally held on Feb. 28 by the alliance had attracted nearly 2 million people, who formed a 500km-long human chain to protest China's missiles deployed against Taiwan, and successfully boosted President Chen Shui-bian's (
Wang said the name-change rally will also play an important role in providing momentum for pan-green camp candidates in the year-end legislative elections.
"Since we don't have any government resources, we hope to obtain support from the private sector and the public," Wang said.
The alliance hopes a Sept. 15 fundraising banquet will boost fundraising efforts. The group expects to collect at least NT$10 million for the rally before November.
Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) will attend the banquet. He will give autographs and have pictures taken with donors, Wang said.
The Nov. 27 rally will feature carnival-style activities around the country. The alliance plans gatherings in a number of places in which participants will carry lights as part of the theme of "lighting up and protecting Formosa."
Many reports by international media had referred to the country as Taiwan when reporting Olympic news, noted Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) secretary-general Lin Chih-chia (林志嘉), while domestic media used the name "Chinese Taipei," the name that Taiwan uses in international sporting events due to pressure from Beijing.
Lin noted that the New York Times had used the name "Taiwan" rather than "Chinese Taipei" in a medal table it published, in which Taiwan ranked 31st.
"We want to ask why our own media is so afraid to name our country Taiwan," Lin said. "We hope the Nov. 27 rally will once again educate our people to bravely use the real name of our country."
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