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Name-change controversy: DPP caucus urges postal union not to fight name change

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday urged the postal workers' union not to resort to irrational protests against changing the name of Chunghwa Post Co (中華郵政) to Taiwan Post Co (臺灣郵政).

DPP caucus whip Wang Sing-nan (王幸男) told a press conference that the name change was a result of a decision by the company's board and therefore should be respected.

Wang said Vice Minister of Transportation and Communications Ho Nuan-hsuen (何煖軒) had assured him that the name change would not cause any losses for company employees and customers.

The ministry will also push for amendments of related laws in the next legislative session, he said, adding that there was nothing illegal in the name- change procedure.

Wang said that there had also been a degree of opposition to placing the name "Taiwan" on the nation's new passports in 2001, but the majority now believe traveling is more convenient because Taiwanese are more respected by foreign customs officials when venturing abroad.

"This is why the name change [for state-run enterprises] is necessary," he said. "Many countries think that Taiwan is part of China. This has caused major harm to the nation."

When asked by the media if Taiwan Post will have to change back to Chunghwa Post if amendments to related regulations are not passed in the next legislative session, Wang said it was possible.

When challenged by the media about whether more tax dollars would have to be spent if the postal service's name reverted, Wang said the company would only have to change its signboards again, which would not be expensive.

DPP Legislator Huang Wei-cher (黃偉哲) said at the conference that the Chunghwa Post Worker's Union union did not protest when China referred to it as the "Chinese Taiwan Postal Workers' Union" during a visit by postal union representatives to China last July.

"If the union representatives had protested back then, we would have respected their opinions more," he said.

"Changing the names [of state-run enterprises] promotes Taiwanese consciousness and highlights Taiwan's sovereignty," DPP Legislator Wang Shih-cheng (王世堅) said at another press conference.

He urged the union to take a positive attitude toward the change.

Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Secretary-General Chien Cheng-shan (錢橙山) said that the party recognized the amount of effort the DPP had put into the name changes, but added that the DPP should "do more and say less" during the campaign.

He added that the DPP was guilty of using the name changes as part of its campaign for the upcoming legislative elections at the end of the year.

"We believe that the ruling party's sincerity in promoting the name-change campaign is questionable," TSU Spokeswoman Chiang Yueh-chin (蔣月琴) told a press conference. "The most important thing for the government to do in the name-change campaign is to correct the nation's title instead of focusing on trivia."

She said the public's misunderstanding of the name changes was a result of the government's failure to communicate the reasons why the change was needed.
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