Last month, I led a delegation from Taiwan to the US to pay our respects to the victims of the Sept. 11 tragedy. While there, we also staged a peaceful demonstration in the square in front of the UN building to clearly state the reasonable request that Taiwan be allowed to join the UN and our determination to have this request fulfilled. As we were shouting our slogans at the top of our lungs in the square, however, we learned that Taiwan's 10th attempt to gain UN membership had failed.
For the past 10 years, we have used the name Republic of China in our requests that the UN General Assembly study and deal with the unreasonable denial of the rights of Taiwan's 23 million citizens to be represented in the UN in breach of the UN principle of universality. Although this is a reasonable request, it does not conform with UN resolution 2758 of 1971. This resolution clearly states that the PRC has succeeded the ROC as the legitimate government of China, and that the ROC government led by Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) should be kicked out of the UN. In short, the ROC on Taiwan no longer exists as far as the UN is concerned, and unless the PRC ceases to exist, it will be impossible for the ROC to return to the UN.
This also means that it is absolutely impossible for Taiwan to return to the UN or apply for a new membership under the name "Republic of China." We have failed 10 times and will continue to do so if we apply 12 or even 50 times. There are therefore scholars of international law, such as Chen Lung-chu (
An application for membership as a new nation must of course first be approved by the UN Security Council before the General Assembly will consider it. In the Security Council we would first have to face China's veto power and the difficult situation that would result if we were vetoed.
If we apply under the name of "Taiwan," however, we will be asserting that Taiwan is a new nation, sovereign and independent, and China will immediately face the difficult issue of whether or not to attack Taiwan. A decision on its part not to do so will imply recognition of Taiwan's sovereignty and independence and that Taiwan's independence has been successfully implemented. Taiwan will then be able to apply for UN membership as an independent nation, with an accurate and easily pronounceable name.
If China does resort to military action, on the other hand, Taiwan will face a challenge to its existence, and its entire population will have to show determination and the ability to survive: if we are not prepared to do so, we shouldn't talk of official independence. Further, even if China does take military action against Taiwan, the nation will still gain independence. Everyone and every nation in the world will be forced to face the new situation, and it will be difficult for them not to recognize Taiwan as an independent state.
What's more, if China takes to arms, the government in Beijing will become a party to the dispute regarding the Taiwan's application for UN membership. Under the UN Charter, "a party to a dispute shall abstain from voting" in the Security Council. This means that not only will the possibility of Taiwanese membership being added to the General Assembly's agenda be greatly increased, but that the bid will become unavoidable and if bound to succeed.
Even though China, if it does not take to arms, could continue to use its Security Council veto against Taiwan's application for UN membership under the name "Taiwan," that in itself would amount to a tacit recognition of Taiwan as an independent nation. Taiwan can apply every year, because the request will become increasingly reasonable and gain increasing legitimacy, while China's use of its veto will become increasingly less reasonable and illegitimate.
The unreasonable and anoma-lous situation in which Taiwan is the only one of the world's 192 nations (apart from the Vatican) that is not a UN member must be made the focus of international politics. It must become more and more difficult, less and less possible, for China to continue its veto for another 10, 20 or 50 years.
Whether or not China takes to arms, it will be very difficult for it to act rashly. Given the state of China's political and economic development, the US Taiwan Relations Act, the US' commitment to provide arms to Taiwan and international opinion, China will have to consider that a military attack on Taiwan may not be to its advantage. It is equally unavoidable that Taiwan's route towards an official name is a minefield. One misstep and everything could be lost.
Taiwan must deliberate and plan with great caution, forge a national consensus and steel its resolve before making a move. Once we make that move, there will be no turning back. This must not be a grand gamble, and the only consideration must be the lives and well-being of 23 million people.
Whether "Taiwan" will be the nation's official name and whether Taiwan will apply for UN mem-bership under that name is a decision that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) cannot make in the name of the citizens of Tai-wan. It is a decision that cannot possibly be taken without the most carefully considered consent of the 23 million citizens of Taiwan in a solemn referendum.
It is difficult to predict the future, but one thing is certain, and that is that applications for membership in the UN under the name "Republic of China" are almost bound to fail. Let us first correct our name, call our nation "Taiwan" and use that name to apply for UN membership. Even though this would run the risk of prompting China to take up arms, it could not do so without confronting many difficulties. It's a long and winding road, but Tai-wan's nation building can succeed and UN membership is a possibility. There's no doubt about that.
Chiou Chwei-liang is president of Taiwan Heart.
Translated by Perry Svensson
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