Tue, Mar 15, 2005 page3

• Blue and green regional leaders protest China's law

  LETTERS Mayors and county commissioners backed two different protest letters, one initiated by the mayor of Taipei, and the other by Kaohsiung's mayor

  • By Caroline Hong / STAFF REPORTER
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  Taiwan's mayors and county commissioners split across party lines yesterday in reaction to the passage of China's "anti-secession" law, although they were united in their opposition to the legislation.

  The pan-green camp issued a joint statement signed by 17 regional leaders, while the pan-blue camp held an international press conference to publicize their "open letter" of protest.

  Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), at a press conference to publicize an open letter initiative he began last week, also said that he would not attend a March 26 rally to protest the anti-secession law, while fellow Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) vice chairman, Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) said that it was also doubtful that he would attend.

  The movement to consolidate the views of Taiwan's regional leaders began when acting Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) initiated a joint statement on March 7 to be co-signed by all 23 of the nation's regional heads of government. Ma refused to sign Chen's statement, saying that he did not need to make his stance on the anti-secession law any clearer than he already had. However, Ma later initiated a similar movement to have the nation's regional leaders co-sign an open letter of protest against the anti-secession law. The letter was presented at an international press conference at Taipei City Hall yesterday.

  The two documents signed yesterday highlighted the differences between political camps, despite their common position in the face of the passage of the anti-secession law. All 14 of the nation's pan-blue regional leaders or their representatives showed up at yesterday's Taipei City Government press conference to sign Ma's open letter. Six of the 17 signatories of the Chen-initiated statement, meanwhile, were pan-blue regional chiefs who also co-signed Ma's open letter.

  Regardless of differences in political motives, both the open letter initiated by Ma and the statement drafted by Chen emphasized that China needs to recognize the sovereignty of the Republic of China (ROC), that the anti-secession law clearly goes against the will of the Taiwanese people and that the anti-secession law cannot help the cross-strait situation.

  In Chen's joint statement, titled "Safeguarding Democracy and Peace, Opposing Military Annexation: An Objection to China's Anti-Secession Law," the crux of the problem in cross-strait relations was identified as China's refusal to recognize the ROC's sovereignty, China's use of its military might and missiles to threaten the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and its use of aggressive means to sabotage Taiwan's international standing.

  The statement also says that developing cross-strait peace and stability is not only the universal goal of the international community but also the common hope of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The joint statement urged Beijing to be prudent regarding enacting the "ill-intended" legislation.

  Ma's letter to the international community, on the other hand, added that the majority of the Taiwanese people support the status quo, while emphasizing that it is only a minority of people that advocate Taiwanese independence.

  During his press conference yesterday, Ma evaded questions asking why he did not sign the statement initiated by Chen, although some of the other pan-blue leaders present at the international press conference yesterday did.

  Ma also used the press conference to clarify that he will attend the March 26 rally initiated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). He has already made his position on the anti-secession law clear in previous comments and in yesterdays open letter, Ma said. There is no further need for him to attend any activities to express his views, he said.

  Meanwhile, Hu said he was still reserving judgment on whether or not he would attend the event.
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