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Civic alliance formed to push UN bid

Former presidential adviser Koo Kwang-ming, third right, and several independence activists raise their fists to mark the founding of a civic alliance to promote the nation's bid to join the UN using the name ``Taiwan.'' PHOTO: CNA

A civic alliance formed yesterday to help the nation's UN bid criticized the UN secretary-general's rejection of Taiwan's request for membership as illegal and urged him to refrain from kowtowing to China and its "one China" policy.

The Alliance for Taiwan to Join the United Nations was initiated by Chen Lung-chu (陳隆志), president of the Taiwan New Century Foundation, along with 14 other independence activists.

Speaking at the group's founding ceremony yesterday, Chen said that its mission was to launch a national and global campaign to support the government's "epoch-making" policy of joining the UN under the name "Taiwan."

"The government and the people must join forces at this historic moment," he said. "We shall work together toward this common goal and we shall not stop until this dream becomes a reality."

The nation had previously applied to join the UN using the name the "Republic of China," but the administration changed its approach this year.

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) sent UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon a letter on July 19 requesting UN membership using the name "Taiwan." The UN Office of Legal Affairs, however, returned the letter, citing UN Resolution 2758.

Chen Lung-chu yesterday said Ban had abused his power, criticizing the latter's handling of the matter as "illegal" and an "out-and-out violation of the UN Charter and the spirit of procedural regulations."

Resolution 2758 does not stipulate that Taiwan is part of China nor authorize the People's Republic of China to represent Taiwan and its people, he said.

"The UN secretary-general must not be a pawn of China and ignore the fact that Taiwan is a sovereign state," he said. "We condemn the UN Secretary-General Office's treatment of Taiwan's application.

"We must turn our anger into power and show the collective will and power of Taiwanese people to the world via a referendum," he added.

Reverend William Lo (羅榮光), secretary-general of the Taiwan-UN Alliance, called on the public to write protest letters to Ban for ignoring the plight of Taiwanese and the provisions of the UN Charter.

Former presidential adviser Wu Li-pei (吳澧培) said he realized the UN campaign was a difficult task, but believed that through perseverance Taiwan would eventually prevail.

Koo Kwang-ming (辜寬敏), another former presidential adviser panned the previous strategy as a "grave mistake," saying the administration should have changed it long ago.

Hailing the new tactic as a "great and courageous deed," Reverend Kao Chun-ming (高俊明) of the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan urged the public to attend a march organized by the Democratic Progressive Party on Sept. 15 and endorse the second-stage of the petition for a UN referendum proposed by the party.

Lee Hung-hsi (李鴻禧), president of the Ketagalan Academy, blasted the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) for turning Taiwan into an "international orphan," saying dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) was the "main culprit."

Lee was referring to Chiang's rejection of a US proposal for "dual representation" for Taiwan and China in the UN in 1971. Chiang insisted that "gentlemen cannot stand together with thieves (漢賊不兩立)," meaning that his Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) could not coexist with the Chinese communists.

Consequently, on Oct. 25, 1971, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2758, "expelling the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the UN and in all the organizations related to it."
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