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Lu praises cartoonists' work for democracy

Vice President Annette Lu appeared at the awards ceremony for the 2002 Taiwan International Cartoon Contest yesterday. PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES

Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday called on China to save the money it spends deploying missiles targeting Taiwan and use it instead on education.

Lu made the call in a speech at the Taiwan International Cartoon Contest awards ceremony at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, hosted by the Chinese Cartoonists' Union. The contest's theme was world peace.

"The Beijing government is launching massive military exercises in Hainan island right now. They imagine the island as Taiwan and practice how to attack it," said Lu. "Many warships and aircrafts were dispatched for the drill."

"But here in Taiwan we are having this award ceremony for cartoonists and caricaturists who create anti-war and anti-terrorism works," she said.

Lu said cartoons have played a significant role in Taiwan's democratization. In the 1970s, many cartoonists were sent to prison because they drew cartoon strips to support democracy campaigners.

Lu said the cartoon contest was a manifestation of Taiwanese people's love for peace.

"I look forward to perfect peace co-established by men and women. According to world history, 99 percent of wars were initiated by men."

Annette Lu, vice president

"The Chinese government should stop developing and deploying missiles. Its missile budget could be used for conservation, education and cultural development," she added.

Lu said China does not need to use missiles to attack Taiwan.

"Peace is the aim of all mankind. Wars never solve problems," she said, adding, "I look forward to perfect peace co-established by men and women. According to world history, 99 percent of wars were initiated by men."

Among the participants in yesterday's ceremony was a caricaturist from China. Lu asked him to deliver her appeal to the Beijing government.

"This is a political issue irrelevant to the subject of the ceremony. It is not good for me to comment on the vice president's remarks," Xu Pergfei (徐鵬飛) told reporters later.

Xu is an editor of the People's Daily. He was the only one of nine Chinese winners to attend the awards ceremony.

The 2002 Taiwan International Cartoon Contest attracted more than 1,000 participants from 50 countries.

First prize went to Borislav Stankovic from Yugoslavia. His winning cartoon, "Beach," shows a war fanatic occupying a large space on the beach, isolated from clusters of other people around him who obviously detest him.

The second and the third prizes went to Sergio Langer of Argentina and Jitet Koestana of Indonesia.

Of the 20 winners, two were from Taiwan.

During the ceremony, the CCU presented four caricatures of four world leaders holding weapons: US President George W. Bush, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Lu and three others attached four red hearts to the weapons to signify the replacement of war with love.

Lu also suggested that the Government Information Office hold an annual cartoon contest to demonstrate Taiwan's commitment to world peace.
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