Wed, Jun 04, 2003 page8

• Editorial: Demand a referendum

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  At the World Health Assembly in Geneva last month, Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi (吳儀) and China's representative to the UN in Geneva, Sha Zukang (沙祖康), used extremely crude and unreasonable language toward journalists and other people from Taiwan. "Who cares about your Taiwan?" was on such quote. When the scene was broadcast on local TV, the insults pierced through the hearts of Taiwanese people like a sword.

  These officials are unwilling to apologize for having spread the SARS virus throughout their country and to the rest of the world. When did they ever care about diseases from China that have beset this nation over the years? The foot-and-mouth outbreak of six years ago and today's SARS epidemic have both dealt serious blows to the lives of Taiwanese.

  With SARS, Taiwan's need to join international groups such as the World Health Organization (WHO) has become even more urgent. However, apart from relying on the government's diplomatic prowess, we also need a clear-cut endorsement from the public to serve as a legal basis for pushing more aggressive government action on the one hand, and on the other, to stop certain political parties from using excuses to prevent the government from acting on public opinion.

  During the KMT era, government power was primarily controlled by the Chiang family and its key proteges, backed by mainlanders who moved to Taiwan along with the KMT government. They constituted only 15 percent of the population and were fearful of referendums because they stood to lose the legal basis for their rule. For this reason the government always opposed the passage of any referendum law.

  The government used to view referendums as tools for deposing the Chiang family or the KMT government. As a result, the channels through which people could express their will to the international community were blocked. The failure of government policies to fully reflect public opinion constitutes a major dereliction of duty on the part of public representatives.

  If people do not act quickly to defend their civil rights, we will face the serious threat of them being sold out by politicians. PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), who is now the vice presidential candidate for the pan-blue camp, claimed recently that he would get Taiwan into the WHO within two years under the "one China" principle if he and KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) were elected. Soong and Lien both served as policy-makers in the KMT government for many years. Haven't they already tried to get Taiwan into international organizations such as the UN and the WHO under the "one China" policy?

  Didn't their efforts fail? How can they claim with such certainty that they can get Taiwan into the WHO? Soong needs to clearly explain his clever plans to the public. Otherwise, people will worry about what he is actually trying to sell, or that he might be offering a poisonous recipe that will cause Taiwan to lose its independence and self-determination forever. In view of this, the need for the public to demand a referendum has become even more urgent.
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