Thu, Sep 06, 2007 page3

• Chen dumps on KMT proposal

  BITING BACK The president's comments drew a rebuke from Ma Ying-jeou, who said that the KMT's position on a UN referendum was both flexible and practical

  • By Ko Shu-ling / STAFF REPORTER
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  President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday criticized a referendum initiated by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) on UN membership, saying using the name Republic of China (ROC) to "rejoin" the international body was self-deceiving.

  The KMT has proposed a referendum on whether to "rejoin" the UN and join other international organizations under the name ROC, Taiwan or another practical title.

  "Some say that they will `rejoin' the UN with the name of ROC or Taiwan, but it doesn't make sense because to `rejoin' the UN is to use the name ROC," Chen said. "The application for UN membership with the name ROC is a dead end. Only using the name `Taiwan' for UN application is the way out."

  Chen made the remarks while receiving members of the Association of Japan-Taiwan Relations Study yesterday.

  Chen criticized the former KMT administration for making a grave mistake by rejecting the US proposal of "dual representation" of Taiwan and China at the UN before Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) pulled out his representative to the UN in 1971.

  Chiang also turned down a proposal presented by Saudi Arabia to let the people of Taiwan decide whether Taiwan should remain an independent sovereignty, form a confederation with China or establish a union with China, Chen said.

  The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supports joining the UN under the name "Taiwan."

  As the DPP is in the second phase of petitioning for the referendum proposal, Chen said he hoped the party would elicit sufficient endorsement by the end of next month to be able to put it before the people in conjunction with the presidential election in March.

  The DPP must collect at least 800,000 signatures for the referendum to take place, according to the Referendum Law (公投法).

  While Beijing and Washington have opposed any UN bid, Chen yesterday thanked the Japanese government for not objecting to the campaign.

  Taiwan and Japan are facing similar problems, Chen said, with both braving China's intimidation.

  In response to Chen's criticism, KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday argued "the KMT's version is both flexible and practical."

  "As the country's president, Chen should not discourage the country," Ma said.

  He said the KMT proposed that the country apply for the UN and other international organizations under a practical name, such as "Chinese Taipei," or "the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu," which would have more chance of success.

  Meanwhile, according a poll released by the Taiwan Thinktank yesterday showed that more than 75 percent of respondents in a recent survey said that Taiwan is an independent sovereignty and 67 percent said they support the government's effort to push Taiwan's UN bid.

  The survey, conducted between Aug. 30 and last Sunday, polled 1,068 adults and found that more than 76 percent said they disagreed with China's claim that Taiwan is part of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

  Seventy-nine percent said they disagreed with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's remark that Taiwan is part of the PRC, while 10 percent said they agreed and another 10 percent said they did not know or refused to answer.

  While the US government opposed Taiwan's plan for a UN membership referendum as it viewed such activity as a move toward a declaration of independence, about 47 percent said they disagreed with the US position, but more than 42 percent said they agreed.

  Despite US opposition, nearly 56 percent supported holding a referendum on UN membership.

  The poll also showed that more than 71 percent of the respondents said that Taiwan's UN membership would help protect national security.

  In related news, a former US ambassador to Taiwan said yesterday that Washington had violated US law by opposing Taiwan's UN bid because Taiwan is qualified to join any international organization.

  Harvey Feldman said he believed the actions of the administration of US President George W. Bush ran counter to US law.

  "The law says Taiwan should not be excluded from the international financial institutions or any other international organization. It doesn't say anything about requiring or not requiring statehood," he said. "If the law says that Taiwan cannot be excluded from international organizations, it obviously must believe that Taiwan is qualified for any international organization."

  Feldman made the remarks while meeting Chen at the Presidential Office.

  The only way for Taiwan to make progress with a UN bid, Feldman said, is to persuade the US to change its attitude. He did not think it can be done in this administration but perhaps it could be achieved by the next one, he said.

  Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih

  See:

  DPP drafts pragmatic resolution
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