Lawmakers yesterday challenged the new government's ability to carry out human rights diplomacy given what they said was Taiwan's imperfect human rights record and the questionable records of some of the island's allies.
"Many of Taiwan's diplomatic allies have a poor human rights record. I have reviewed the foreign ministry's secret budget and some of it is directed toward the purchase of riot control gear in these countries," KMT legislator Chen Shei-saint (
"You said you want to include Taiwan's concern for human rights in foreign aid, and win the support of the local people. Will you choose the ruling government or the people as the recipient of aid?" Chen asked.
Tien responded by saying that Taiwan is not the only country performing a fine balancing act between human rights and foreign policy. "Every country, including the US, will run into these dilemmas in dispensing foreign aid."
Chen criticized the foreign ministry for conducting what he calls an "oxymoronic and two-handed" strategy of supplying riot control equipment to governments while handing out aid to the people.
"Are you going to hand out guns on one hand while giving out bread on the other?" Chen asked.
Officials at the foreign ministry verified that Taiwan has provided funding for riot control equipment, but justified the action as "necessary to prevent a further outbreak of violence."
Instead, Chen suggested the new government should consider extending political asylum to dissidents and giving legal resident status to Tibetan exiles in Taiwan.
Other lawmakers, including the KMT's Lee Shang-ren (
But Tien was quick to stress that the new government's emphasis on human rights diplomacy must comply with world trends rather than criticize Taiwan's diplomatic allies.
"Human rights diplomacy is very universal but not a specific or country-directed initiative," Tien said.
"The focus is on increasing Taiwan's participation in international activities which promote human rights," he added.
However, DPP legislator Perng Shaw-jiin (
"Should we get rid of capital punishment? How can we push for human rights if we don't even understand the concept here," Perng said.
Lawmakers also questioned the status of the US$300 million in aid to Kosovo proposed by former President Lee Teng-hui (
The aid has remained untouched since US$6.5 million dispersed last year through NGOs and the donation of public buses.
Further expenditures would "depend on the need in Kosovo," Tien said.
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