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DPP officials pan countries opposed to UN referendum

Chinese and US opposition to the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) campaign for the nation to apply for UN membership using the name "Taiwan" reflects their "ignorance" and "overbearing attitude" toward the nation's democratic development, panelists said at a forum yesterday.

Director of the DPP's Department of International Affairs, Lai I-chung (賴怡忠), said that as Taiwan is an election-driven democracy, it is natural for political parties to use referendums to push their political agendas.

"Those who criticize the DPP for using the referendum as a tool to trick voters for political gains are not only ignorant and ridiculous but also do not understand Taiwan's democratic development," he told the forum hosted by the Taiwan Thinktank in Taipei.

"Their attack on Taiwanese democracy only demonstrates their overbearing attitude," Lai said.

Lai said the US government's rationale for opposing the DPP's UN proposal made no sense.

The US State Department has called on the administration of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to exercise "leadership," asking it to exercise restraint "by rejecting such a proposed referendum," and saying the referendum "appears designed to change Taiwan's status unilaterally."

Although such a referendum would have no practical impact on Taiwan's UN status, it would increase tensions in the Taiwan Strait, the State Department said.

China, on the other hand, has always opposed Taiwanese referendums, Lai said, as it worries that Taiwanese might eventually vote on de jure independence.

"It is stupid and impractical for Beijing to let the legitimacy of its regime be dictated by Taiwan's democratic development," he said.

The advent of democracy in Taiwan has changed the status quo and its role in the Taiwan Strait, Lai said. The international community must realize that the nation has transformed itself from a player whose fate was decided by others to one active in making the rules.

The forum yesterday also introduced a new book titled Democracy all the Way: Referendum Movement in Taiwan, published by the think tank.

DPP Secretary-General Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), chief editor of the book, said that joining the UN under the name "Taiwan" would be an effective signal to the world that Taiwan and China are two different countries.

The reason that some countries oppose the referendum is that they know all too well that they are wrong in their treatment of Taiwan and are ashamed, he said.

"They, including US President George W. Bush, talk about democracy and human rights all day long, but when the subject is China they bow their heads," he said. "Why should we feel embarrassed [for pushing for UN membership]? They are the ones who should feel embarrassed."
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